


The Past Recedes

by Ladyfiaran



Series: Sol Duga [7]
Category: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Fandom
Genre: Adoption, Asperger Syndrome, Gen, Single Parents, parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 33,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27941777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyfiaran/pseuds/Ladyfiaran
Summary: John is newly sober and enjoying his comeback with the Red Hot Chili Peppers when he gets a call from his lawyer that changes his life.
Series: Sol Duga [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/793182
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

John felt something tickle his face when he opened his sleepy eyes, smiling when he saw Gabriel nuzzling his face. "Good morning", he chuckled. The marmalade tom meowed and his green eyes looked pleading as John got up and stretched, glancing over at the clock on the nightstand. "Wow, it's late for me", he mused aloud.

Gabriel scampered off the bed as his other cat Bianca gave him a pitying look. "I know, I'm usually up at 6 but I wanted to sleep. Let me get you breakfast", he said.

John got their cats their food and went to take a shower. The sunlight streaming in through the the dining room windows filled the house through the open curtains looking down onto the city from the height of the Hollywood Hills. The view never felt old to him no matter how many times he'd seen it, remembering all-to-well the darkness which surrounded him less than three years earlier. Back then, it had seemed as though he lived in perpetual darkness, the sunlight a direct rejoinder to the darkness.

He plugged in his record player and went to the living room to find an album. While the living room was done in white with matching walls and carpet and the furniture was modern stuff from Ethan Allan, what was most striking were the piles of records and cd's. Along the perimeter of the room were shelves of cd's and records with more in piles on the floor which would would not fit on the shelves. Scattered among the cd's and records were notebooks of sheet music and songbooks with an acoustic Martin guitar resting atop the cream sofa.

John scanned the shelf and took out a vinyl copy of Rubber Soul as he went back to the kitchen. The opening notes of Drive My Car came over the speakers as the cats perked up and meowed softly. "You guys have excellent taste", he teased.

John was drinking coffee and was about to start reading when the phone rang. He frowned as he picked up the phone and turned down the volume. "Mr. Frusciante, sorry to bother you", said his lawyer.

"Is everything all right?", he asked.

"I suppose, depending on what you mean by all right. Mr. Frusciante, I have received a letter from another lawyer saying that Miss Zoe Lacroix has died and she named you as the father of her daughter. The Lacroix family lawyer has contacted my office, they want you to meet your daughter", said the lawyer.

John nearly choked on his coffee. "What? I haven't had sex or even dated since '94", he said in shock.

"The child was born on December 11, 1989 in Palm Springs", said the lawyer.

"Wait, we did a show in Palm Springs that March. There was a dark-haired woman there, an older woman, we hooked up but I never saw her again. Was that her?", he asked.

"It seems likely, according to her family Miss Lacroix had no other known partners and wrote in her will that you were the father of her daughter. It is likely you are the father", replied the lawyer.

"Shit", he muttered.

"The family will be in Los Angeles tomorrow to meet with us, it would be highly recommended you come", said the lawyer.

"All right, I'm just in shock, guys in this line of work get a lot of gold diggers seeking paternity suits. How old is the girl?" he asked.

"She is ten years old", replied the lawyer.

John's blood ran cold. "She is my daughter, I know it. It adds up", he said.

"You could ask for a paternity test, but it's up to you", said the lawyer.

"I'll be there tomorrow", said John.

He hastily finished his coffee and rinsed out the cup before putting it away. The news ruined his appetite and he was still numb, the idea slowly sinking in. The idea of having any sort of child never entered his mind since it had been so long he had sex or dated anyone. All those years of addiction had taken a toll on his health and he was sure he couldn't father any children, but now he had a daughter.

His cell phone rang and he picked it up when he saw the familiar number. "John, we got rehearsal, remember?", Flea reminded him.

"Flea, I just got a call from my lawyer. I have a daughter, her mother died and said I was the father in her will", he whispered.

"Holy fuck. Are you sure?", asked Flea.

"Yeah, she was born in December of 1989 in Palm Springs. In March, we played that club there", he said.

"Wow, that's crazy. But I gotta tell you, when you're a dad for the first time, that's the best feeling in the world. We'll be there for you, being a dad is the best feeling in the world. And we can be uncles, like you're Clara's uncle", said Flea.

"Thanks. I'm still in shock, it's been me and the cats for the last few years. I'm excited and nervous and anxious all at once", he babbled.

"I get it, this is a shock. But we'll be there for you, I imagine you'll have to fix up the spare room", said Flea.

"Yeah, since the only people who's been in are my parents", he said ruefully.

"I'll come over to pick you up in a bit, we'll get breakfast there", said Flea.

John changed into jeans and a Black Flag t-shirt as he combed his long curly dark brown hair. He wondered what kind of girl his daughter was, and how she would like living here. The only experience he had with children was occasionally babysitting Clara, and he knew he had to fix up the spare bedroom and had to tell his parents.

John made sure the cats had food and water when he heard Flea honk his horn. He grabbed his wallet and keys before leaving and got in the passenger's side of Flea's multi-colored Rolls Royce. "I know it's a huge shock, but we're behind you. When she gets settled in, you have to bring her over to meet Clara. And I can help with finding a school or to go shopping", said Flea.

"Thanks, I have no idea how to deal with kids, especially a little girl. I babysat Clara when she was little, but this is my own kid", said John with a sigh.

"Taking care of kids isn't rocket science, it just sounds like that. Just do your best, after you meet her, you have to tell your parents", said Flea.

"That'll shock them, they have a grandchild after all these years", said John.

"No matter what, we'll support you", said Flea reassuringly.

Flea parked in the lot of the band's rehearsal space, a former warehouse out in the valley. "Guys, John just found out he's a dad", said Flea.

Both Anthony and Chad did a double take. 'What? But you're celibate", blurted out the singer.

"I got a call from my lawyer. Remember that show we did in March of '89, in Palm Springs? I hooked up with that older dark-haired chick and she got pregnant, the lawyer says the family told him she never had another partner and she named me as the father in her will", said John.

"Whoa, this is heavy. Yeah, I remember that show. That girl seemed cold as ice and a bit on the plain side but both of you were drunk as fuck, maybe she was embarrassed she got pregnant", said Chad.

"Maybe, I'll find out more when I see the lawyer tomorrow. I never thought I'd have a kid, my doctor says all the shit I did may have permanently lowered my sperm count. But I'm glad, in a fucked up kind of way. I had a kid before all the shit permanently messed me up", he said in a dazed voice.

"We'll be behind you all the way, John. And we can be cool uncles", said Anthony as they all laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

Nika sat in the stuff high-backed chair in the lawyer's office, her feet dangling off the seat. The last few days since her mother's funeral had passed in a sort of unnatural haze, the talk with her grandparents still fresh in her mind. She wondered what sort of person her father was, why her mother had never told her she had a father like other children. Her thoughts began to run quickly and rushed together as she wondered if she could read one of the books on the shelf behind the lawyer's desk.

"You are going to meet your father, he seems like an interesting chap", said her grandfather Pierre Lacroix. The older British man looked dapper in his charcoal-grey pinstriped suit, his salt-and-pepper hair still thick and wavy.

"I hope you'll like father, I wonder why Zoe never told us about him", said her grandmother Maria. She wore a navy blue dress with a white Peter Pan collar and sensible black pumps, her wavy brown hair recently dyed a pleasant chestnut color and her large dark blue eyes looking kindly at her granddaughter.

The door of the office opened and a lawyer in a black suit entered, followed by a younger man in a black suit that was clearly just bought off the rack. Nika looked curiously at the other man and deduced this must be her father. He was slightly shorter than average and thin with long curly dark brown hair past his shoulders and a neatly trimmed goatee and mustache on his face. Nika felt an eerie sensation as she touched one of her own long dark brown curls, the same color as the man's. He looked in her direction and his hazel eyes widened in surprise when he saw her, his lips parted in shock.

Before he could say anything, another lawyer came in and sat at the desk. Nika sat in the uncomfortable chair and listened to the lawyer go over mother's will and the revelation that Mr. John Anthony Frusciante was her father. She was pleasantly surprised that her father was Italian and wondered if he had ever been to Rome and could speak Latin.

When the lawyer finished reading the will, the man looked shocked and amazed as he slumped in the chair. Nika slid off the chair and went over to hm. "Are you my father?", she asked.

"Yes, I am your father. I know this is a strange way of finding out, Nika", he said kindly.

"Mr. Frusciante, I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. I am Pierre Lacroix and this is my wife Maria. If you like, we can drive to Palm Springs and you can arrange for a U-Haul to bring Nika's things to your house", said the older man.

"Thank you, sir. I didn't drive here, though, my friend did. I don't drive", said John apologetically.

"Oh, we have room in the car. And you have a room in your house?", asked Maria.

"Yes, ma'am. I live with two cats and I have a spare bedroom, but I never have guests", said John.

"You have cats?", asked Nika.

"Yeah, Gabriel and Bianca", said John proudly.

"Okay. What should I call you then?", she asked.

"Uh, Dad. I guess", said John with a nervous giggle.

Nika just shrugged. "I want to know, since one is supposed call adults by a title", she replied.

"Yeah, I guess. But you can come with me soon, I need to get your stuff first. My friend Flea has a daughter your age and I used to babysit her", said John.

"What kind of name is that?", she asked.

"Actually, it's a nickname, his ream name is Michael. I don't think anyone except his mom and girlfriend call him Michael", he chuckled.

Nika was quiet as she followed her grandparents and John out of the office. Her father seemed nice but strange since he didn't drive and had a friend called Flea. The group got in Pierre's car with Nika and John in the backset as he turned on the engine and Charlie Parker came over the car stereo. "Sweet, Flea is a huge jazz fan. His daughter is obsessed with the Spice Girls and it drives him nuts", John laughed.

"I don't like the Spice Girls, Mom said they were stupid. I like Artie Shaw and Mozart", said Nika.

John raised an eyebrow, trying to recall who that was. "Uh, is that a jazz guy? I don't listen to jazz", he said apologetically.

"He was a famous clarinet player from the 30's and 40's, he did Begin the Beguine. He was Mom's favorite clarinetist, I play the clarinet", said Nika proudly.

"Okay, big band jazz isn't my thing. And that's cool you play the clarinet, I play guitar", replied John.

"Are you a rock musician? Rock music is for idiots", said Nika.

John frowned, not liking how she seemed to be parroting her mother's words. "Rock music is not for idiots, I play rock music and my band is very successful. The people I know in my band are very smart", he chided.

"Who wrote the Aeneid?", she asked.

"Uh, Homer?", he answered.

"Wrong, it was Virgil. He was Roman, Homer was Greek", she replied triumphantly.

"Nika, that isn't nice", said Maria.

"Where did you go to college? Mom had a doctorate from USC", said Nika.

"I didn't go to college, I dropped out of high school and got my GED", said John.

"Why? If you don't go to college, people will think you're stupid", said Nika.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Frusciante. Our daughter Zoe was too proud of her intelligence and I'm afraid she passed it on to Nika. Nika was homeschooled and Zoe didn't allow her to be around the neighborhood children", said Pierre.

"Because they're stupid, Mom said so", Nika cried out.

"It isn't nice to call people stupid, Nika", warned Maria.

"But they are stupid, they play with Barbies", said Nika defiantly.

John was starting to feel disturbed about how his daughter was talking. She appeared to have gotten her points of view from her mother since her grandparents seemed to be very pleasant people. He wondered if Nika would get along with Clara and hoped they did, and he mused on how one could teach a child social skills as they headed east towards Palm Springs.


	3. Chapter 3

John was relieved to see the car pull into the driveway of an attractive Spanish-style ranch house on a residential street in Palm Springs. "I will get the kettle on, if I knew we had a guest I would have made biscuits", said Maria apologetically.

"No worries, ma'am. I can't really eat much sweets, my digestive system is messed up and I wear dentures", John explained.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that. I could ask you to stay for dinner, but is there anything you can't eat?", asked Maria.

"It's okay, I don't want to impose. I'm used to it, my housekeeper knows about my diet. I'm sorry, I'll just stay at a hotel", said John.

"Nonsense, I'll prepare something. Are you a vegetarian?", she asked.

"No, I don't eat processed food or sweets", he replied.

"Oh good, I can grill some fish with vegetables. And we have a spare room upstairs, you are welcome to stay", said Maria.

"Thank you, ma'am", John replied.

"Please call me Maria, and may I call you John? I don't think I'm old enough to be called ma'am", Maria chuckled.

John smiled and found he liked Mrs. Lacroix, who reminded him of his own mother. "It might be a while before I can call you by your name, we just met", he replied.

"I want to show you Pepere's study, he has got so many books", said Nika.

John followed her upstairs as Nika showed him a study all done in warm earth tones. Three quarters of the room were lined by bookshelves crammed with tomes of every sort, the big oak desk in the center topped by a typewriter and a stack of papers. "He's a college professor, those are term papers. And these are his books, Mom's will said I'm going to get her books", she said.

"I have a lot of books too, especially on art and Buddhism. I used to paint years ago during a bad time, but I concentrate on writing music now", said John.

"I'm surprised you do read, aren't high school dropouts dumb?", she asked.

"Nika, don't talk like that. Not everyone who drops out is stupid. I dropped out because school was boring and pointless, I preferred to play music and I joined the band when I was eighteen. I preferred playing guitar and writing music to sitting in study hall", said John.

"I suppose that makes sense. Weren't your parents angry?", she asked.

"No, they understood how much music meant to me. They let me drop out but I needed to get my GED, I passed it on the first try", he replied.

"Mom would never let me drop out of school, she was very conscious of our family reputation", said Nika.

John felt more disturbed than ever at her words. He'd thought that she was serious due to her mother's death, but she seemed far too serious for a child. Her words and demeanor seemed far too serious for a child. Her words and demeanor reminded him of a Victorian-era child from a Masterpiece Theater program than a modern child, far more serious than any child he'd ever encountered. "This is one of my favorites, it's the best translation of Homer", said Nika, showing him a copy of Chapman's Homer.

"I read that back in eighth grade, but it was in prose. I prefer the Odyssey over the Iliad, it's too bloody", said John.

"What's your favorite part of the Odyssey?", she asked.

"When Odysseus and his men wound up in Lotus Land and didn't want to leave. I know that feeling too well", said John ruefully.

"My favorite part is when the crew went to Tartarus to speak with Tiresias, I love the descriptions of the ghosts and of the landscapes. It was too bad Odysseus never got to see the Elysian Fields, and it would have been interesting to see Sisyphus", said Nika.

"But if him and his crew went to the Elysian Fields, they might not have wanted to leave. And I think seeing a guy roll a boulder up a hill or a guy suffering like Tantalus would be tedious, or depressing", said John.

"I suppose you're smart", she said grudgingly.

"I think I am, many musicians can be quite smart. I don't want you to call people stupid, Nika. I'm going to introduce you to my bandmates and friends and family, they are all interesting people. I don't want people to think my daughter is rude", said John.

Nika looked terrified at the idea of meeting a lot of new people. "Not all at once, I'm shy around people too. I'll introduce you to my band mates and maybe to other friends. But maybe we'll just be alone for a bit, just us and my cats", he said.

"Okay, but if you're a Buddhist, do I have to a be a Buddhist too? Pepere and Grandmere are Catholic, but Mom said Catholics are stupid, she was an atheist", said Nika.

John frowned. "No, you don't have to a Buddhist. But religion is not stupid, it can be a very positive thing. I got into Buddhism a few years back and it's helped me a lot. Let's go downstairs and help your grandparents", he said.

They went back downstairs where Pierre was seated in his easy chair watching EWTN, the Catholic cable channel. The parlor was done in a warm cream color and on top of the big-screen TV was a cloth runner topped with various figurines of saints and pictures in little plastic binders of Jesus and Mary, in the center a large statue of Mary in blue and white robes with numerous rosaries hanging from her slim neck. "I hope you don't mind, I was watching Mother Angelina", he said.

"No, it's your house. My mom watches that channel", said John.

"I find myself becoming more involved with my faith now, I am rereading the Bible again. Zoe wouldn't let me take Nika to church, she thought religion was for dumb people. Do you go to church, John?", he asked.

"Uh, I'm a Buddhist", he replied.

"Interesting, I have read several Buddhist texts and it is a fascinating religion, just not mine. I don't want Nika to be an atheist, I find them to be miserable gits", said Pierre.

"Okay, but should she be Catholic or Buddhist?", asked John.

"Expose her to your faith, and perhaps when she is old enough, she'll choose for herself", said Pierre.

"Okay, sir", John replied.

"Please call me Pierre, you are Nika's father after all. And what sort of music does your band make?", he asked.

"Uh, we're a rock band. I joined when I was eighteen, I was a huge fan of theirs and they called me up to tell me I was in the band. I acted like a crazy dumb kid", said John ruefully.

"I can imagine, being eighteen and joining a rock band, there must have been a lot of temptations. I hope you have gotten that out of your system", said Pierre.

"You could say that, Pierre. I'm completely sober for the last two years, I just smoke plus I'm celibate. It's just me, my housekeeper and my cats", said John.

"Good, I can imagine that rock musicians aren't the most clean-living people, no offense", said Pierre.

"No offense taken, some of my friends had really bad addictions but got sober. Now I have another incentive to stay sober", he said, smiling at Nika.

"Nika, why don't you help Grandmere in the kitchen?" Pierre suggested.

The older man waited until Nika was in the kitchen and took out a cigarette case and lighter. Both were made of silver and had an enameled Byzantine eagle on the sides as Pierre opened the box and offered a cigarette to John. "These are Regals, I get them through the post. Northern English people smoke Regals, Southerners smoke Embassys", he said.

John took a cigarette as Pierre lit his and then his own. "Maria quit years ago when she was pregnant, but I still have one from time to time, not as many as I used to", said Pierre as he took a drag.

John nodded as he took a drag. "I used to smoke a lot more, I was a two pack a day smoker. I'm down to half a pack a day and switched over to Dunhills from Winstons, it's more classy and smooth", he said.

"Dunhills are for special occasions, I've been a longtime Regals smoker. I suppose it's common with many former addicts", said Pierre.

"Yeah, it's that, coffee, or junk food. I barely drink coffee and junk food messes with my system so it's cigarettes for me. I suppose I should quit one day, but with all the bad stuff I did, a few cigarettes can't kill me", said John with a shrug.

The two men smoked quietly for a few minutes. "John, when you bring Nika back to your house, put her in a regular school, either public or fee-paying. She needs to be around children her age", said Pierre.

"Okay, I'll ask friends who have kids about schools", John replied.

"Zoe didn't raise Nika like a normal child, she was homeschooled and kept away from other children. I want my granddaughter to be a normal girl, I don't want her to be like Zoe", said Pierre.

"I will do my best", John vowed.


	4. Chapter 4

"Remember Nika, you can call anytime and be a good girl with your father. We will send your things later this week", said Maria as she hugged her granddaughter.

"I will, Grandmere", she vowed.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. and Mrs. Lacroix", said John.

"No worries, John. And you're always welcome here, you are part of the family", said Maria, giving him a hug.

"I've never been on a train before, so this is a first for the both of us", said Nika.

"I don't drive, I'm just not interesting. We'll get a cab when the grain arrives and you can look around the house, you'll need time to decompress", said John.

"I don't want to meet new people, I don't like many people", said Nika matter-of-factly.

"I'm sure you'll like my bandmates, they're very cool guys. And I did call my parents, they want to meet you. They live in New York and they're coming to visit soon", said John.

Nika looked terrified, her bleu eyes wide and flat as buttons. "Are they nice?", she whispered.

"Of course, they're thrilled to be grandparents at last. I'm an only child and they never thought they'd ever be grandparents', he said.

"I suppose it would be nice to have other grandparents", she mused aloud.

John took her hand as they checked in at the train station and the porter took her suitcase. The train station in Palm Springs had none of the hurly-burly of LAX or even a Greyhound bus station, only a few passengers in the waiting room looking at the departure board. "Dad, do you have a lot of books?", she asked.

"Yeah, especially on spirituality and art. I'm a Buddhist and I've read a lot on it before I converted. And I love art, my favorites are the Dada guys like Duchamp and of the older artists, I love Renaissance stuff. Especially Da Vinci, he was a genius", said John reverently.

"Because you're Italian?", she teased.

"Hah, only on my Dad's side. I'm actually a quarter Italian and a quarter Puerto Rican on Dad's side, and through Mom I'm a quarter Irish and a quarter Jewish. But I got a really Italian name", he explained.

"I have a Greek first name and a French last name, but Pepere and Grandmere are British. I call them that since Lacroix is a French name", she said.

"I see, the both of us have mixed up genes. But seriously, I want you to feel comfortable in my home. You can go anywhere in the house but when I'm in the studio with the door closed, I'm busy", he said.

"You have a studio? What kind?", she asked.

"A music studio, I produce my solo albums there. I prefer to do it myself instead of telling a producer what to do, I'm my own boss", he replied.

"The Sunset Limited to Los Angeles is arriving on Platform 5, please be ready to board and show your ticket to the conductor", announced the PA.

John took Nika by the hand and led her over to the platform. They boarded the train and found empty seats with Nika taking the window seat as the car gradually filled up with people. Fifteen minutes later the train left the station and headed westwards towards the desert and then to Los Angeles. At first Nika was excited to be on the train but she quickly grew bored of the desert. She wished she had her books but they were all back in Palm Springs. Nika saw that John lay against the seat and had his eyes closed so she decided against asking him. 

Nika mused at how strange the last 24 hours had been, finding out about her father and now going off to live with him in Los Angeles. She hoped his cats liked her and that she could look through his library. Ever since her mother had taught her to read at age three, books had been some of her favorite things and a comfort. She looked forward to perusing John's library and maybe the rest of the house would be as interesting.

Less than two hours the train arrived in Los Angeles. John took her hand and helped her get off the train, following the directions to the luggage claim. Nika found her bag in a pile as John picked it up and led her outside where the cab waited. John said something to the driver who placed their bag in the trunk and opened the door.

Nika looked out the window as the cag pulled away from the station. She was vaguely disappointed that the cab didn't go through Hollywood itself but was surprised when the cab climbed a road into hills that surrounded the city. The area had small copses of trees and scrubby bushes that provided a tawny contrast to the greenery, the sky above the typical hazy blue-gray of a sunny LA day. 

The cab stopped in front of a low, modest white ranch house as John paid the driver. "This is my house, I bought it after I got sober and rejoined the band. I don't need a bigger house, it's enough", he said.

Nika's heart pounded in fear and her mouth was dry as John led her towards the house. John gave her a reassuring smile before he opened the door. Two cats immediately meowed loudly and padded over to John as he chuckled and stroked their backs. "Gabriel, Bianca, this is my daughter Nika. Nika, these are my cats Gabriel and Bianca, Gabriel's the marmalade tom and Bianca is the Persian", he explained.

The two cats glanced over at Nika and were still for a moment before going back inside. "They're not used to people, they only know Mildred, my parents and bandmates", he said.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Frusciante. Is this your daughter?", asked his housekeeper Mildred. She was a plump middle-aged woman with iron-gray hair in a neat bun and merry blue eyes above red cheeks, wearing a simple blue dress and an apron around her waist.

"Yes, this is Nika. Nika, this is my housekeeper Mildred. She makes sure everything functions smoothly", said John.

John was startled when Nika bent down and dropped into a deep curtsy. "Oh my, I haven't seen that since my childhood ballet class", said Mildred.

"My mom said that's what polite girls do, Madame", said Nika.

"Please call me Mildred, I've never been called Madame before", replied Mildred.

"Her grandparents are British", John explained.

"I see. I'm going to prepare lunch, is there anything in particular you like?", asked Mildred.

"I'm fine, whatever Dad has", she said.

"In the meantime, I'll show you around", said John.

What most impressed Nika about the living room were the piles of vinyl records on the floor and the guitar rack which held different sorts of guitars, both acoustic and electric. Around the perimeter of the room were shelves of vinyl and CD's arranged by genre and which surrounded a simple white couch and a big-screen TV. "I have more CD's and records in my room, I ran out of shelf safe. I don't really watch TV, but you can watch what you want", he said.

Nika just nodded as she was impatient to see the library. He then took her upstairs to show her his room and her room and Mildred's room as she tried not to look bored. "These are my favorite rooms in the house, Nika. This is my studio", he said once they were back downstairs and he led her through a door.

The recording studio on the first floor was a smaller version of a professional studio but its main characteristic was that all the equipment was vintage from the 60's and 70's. "I don't like digital equipment, I did my last album in a modern studio and it sounded really clinical, plus the recording was clipped. I love the sound of vintage albums, my next album is gonna be made here", said John.

"You produce music?", she asked in awe.

"Yeah, it's not hard as it looks. I like to be in control", he said.

Nika followed him out of the studio and into his library as her eyes widened in delight. "You have free range of this library, Nika. I don't have anything weird or inappropriate for kids, but I do have a lot of books on religion and art", he said.

Nika could only nod as she slowly walked around the perimeter of the room. Unlike her grandfather's study, John's was light and airy with plenty of natural light coming through a large window to the right which showed off an excellent view of the hills. Sleek white metal bookcases held numerous books and magazines arranged in no particular order while a pale blond wood desk and royal blue cushioned swivel chair sat in the middle of the room. Atop the desk were the latest issue of National Geographic and a statue of a golden Buddha, shining in the light of the window.

"Can I stay here?", she asked.

"You can come here anytime you like, there's a stair step if you need to get something from the shelf. I'll buy another chair if you want. But when I'm in the studio and the light above the door is red, don't come in", he said.

"Okay. Do I have to eat lunch?", she pouted.

"Yes, otherwise you'll get a headache. If you skip meals, you'll get a headache. After lunch, I'm going to be in the studio working on a song. Tomorrow my friend Josh is coming over to help me with the song, he came up with an idea and it sounds awesome", said John.

"Is he a bandmate?", she asked.

"No, just a very good friend. He's over a lot since we collaborate on a lot of music, he's a good kid. Now let's get lunch", said John.


	5. Chapter 5

Nika was anxious to see this Josh guy so she could back to her father's study. She had been reading a book on Hindu mythology and wanted to go back and read, but first she had to meet his friend. "Josh is a great guy, we met through Bob Forrest who helped me get sober. He plays in Bob's band, the Bicycle Thief and he plays a lot of different instruments", said John.

Nika just wanted this Josh guy to show up and go to the studio so she could read her book. Bianca gave her a sympathetic purr as she gently stroked the Persian's silky fur, her blue eyes kind. "Bianca is very affectionate, Persians have a reputation for being snobby but she's a sweetheart. And Gabriel's doing his business", said John as the marmalade tom used the box.

There was a knock on the door and John answered it. "Hey, how's it going? And is this your daughter?", asked a male voice.

"I'm good, and this is my daughter Nika. Nika, this is my friend and musical partner Josh Klinghoffer", said John.

Nika dropped a curtsy as Josh looked startled. "Wow, I haven't seen that except in old movies", he said.

"Her grandparents are British", John explained.

"Okay, I see. It's nice to meet you, Nika", he said kindly.

"And you as well, Mr. Klinghoffer", she replied.

"Call me Josh, Mr. Klinghoffer is my dad", he chuckled.

Nika observed Josh as she sized him up. He was taller than her father, skinny and pasty white, wearing baggy black sweatpants and a black t-shirt over a long-sleeved gray sweatshirt, a black beanie covering his straight light brown hair. She wondered if he was cold since she had yet to see anyone in southern California who dressed like this.

"So John, how did it feel to find out you had a daughter?", asked Josh when they were in the studio.

"Shocking, I barely remember anything from two years ago since I was so fucked up. But Nika is my daughter, she's a Frusciante. I'm taking a crash course in parenting", said John ruefully.

"Your parents probably went through the same thing, my folks too. But my parents don't have to worry about being grandparents any time soon, I'm single and don't intend to every have kids", laughed Josh.

"I thought I'd never have kids either, but it turns out I have a daughter. I got lots to learn, but I love to learn. Now let's get started", said John as he went to a mini-fridge and poured them each a glass of San Pellegrino.

Nika was glad to get back to her book, hoping her father and Josh stayed in the studio a long time so she could read in peace. She knew she would have to meet her new grandparents and his bandmates sooner or later, but the idea made her queasy. Being with new people made her anxious and nauseous to the point of fainting but so far meeting Josh didn't make her ill. He seemed nice but really young and she wondered why he wore such baggy clothes, but the thoughts away to continue reading.

Nika was disappointed when John opened the door. "We're taking a break for lunch, you need to eat", he said.

"Why, this book is awesome", she pouted.

"If you don't eat, you'll get a headache. Oh, I got that one from a New Age store in Venice Beach. It's pretty good, I have books on Buddhism if you're interested", said John.

"It is, maybe one day I'll read the real version of the Ramayana", said Nika.

"I'm still reading the book on Duchamp you lent me, and the Living Dharma book. I'll try to return them next week", said Josh.

"That's all right, take your time. I have so many books I don't have time to read, reading too fast isn't good", said John.

"Duchamp is ugly, Pepere says he was a fraud", said Nika.

"Wow, you've seen a Duchamp?", asked Josh in surprise.

"Yes, and his art was a fraud. A toilet seat is not art", said Nika primly.

"Everyone has different tastes, I love modern art. I love going to galleries since some of my friends are artists", said Josh.

"Art should look like things, I like ancient Greek art", said Nika.

"Oh, like sculpture and mosaics? Those guys were seriously talented, but Classical art isn't my thing. I prefer more modern stuff, if I ever get to New York, I'm going to see MOMA and the Guggenheim", said Josh.

"But modern art is ugly, it doesn't look like anything", she protested.

Josh laughed and bent down to her level. Nika smiled back and saw that his brown eyes were merry and had golden highlights. "Then I ought to show you my art, I haven't had any complaints that it was ugly", he teased.

"Okay, since Dad used to paint. Is it blobby stuff?", she asked.

"Depends, sometimes I do realistic stuff and sometimes I do abstract art. Maybe one day Bob or someone will hire me to paint their album art", Josh said.

The trio went to the dining room as Mildred prepared lunch. "We got the basic track down, we still have to add guitar", said John.

"Don't you record all the instruments at once?", asked Nika.

"No, since it's only two of us. First we do the rhythm tracks and then the guitars, then vocals. Plus the studio is sound-proofed", John explained.

"Okay, so who plays the drums?", she asked.

"I do, I also play bass. When we record the guitar parts, John plays the leads and I play the rhythm. He's more the flashy lead guy and I'm more the steady rhythm guy", said Josh.

"Okay", she replied.

"Maybe one day you can see us in the studio, it will make sense", said John.


	6. Chapter 6

Nika tried to fight off the urge to retch as John got dressed. "We're meeting the band at the rehearsal space, they really want to meet you. You can bring a book if you want", he said.

Nika was speechless and her eyes wide in fear. "Don't worry, they're great guys. Flea and Chad have kids but Anthony is still single, it might be a while before he has kids", he said with a laugh.

John stood in front of the mirror and brushed his curly dark brown hair. It had grown back thick and lush after being dirty and unkempt for so long when he was addicted, now falling down to his shoulders and shining with auburn highlights. "Dad, I hate meeting people", she whispered.

"I'm shy too, and I'm a rock musician. It's funny, I go onstage and play in front of thousands of people but otherwise I'm shy. It's a performer thing", he mused aloud.

Nika thought for a fleeting moment about locking herself inside the library but thought better of it. She could still see the eyes of all those people at the studio as they gawked at her, the wonder child. She went over to the library and scanned the shelves to find something interesting, selecting a fat paperback edition of South of the Border, West of the Sun since it was by a Japanese author, reminding of her of great-uncle Jack.

"Cool, you like Murakami? He's brilliant", said John.

"My great-uncle Jack lives in Japan", she said.

"Wow, that's awesome. I've been to Japan with my bandmates, it has both good and bad memories", said John wistfully.

Nika wondered why her father wore a long-sleeved shirt but thought it would be rude to ask. She took the book and followed him outside where a black BMW was waiting. A man with curly light brown h air and bright blue eyes got out of the car and embraced John, before turning to her with a gap-toothed grin. "Hi, you must be John's daughter. I'm Michael Balzary, but everyone calls me Flea", he said.

"That's weird", she said.

"Hah, I know. Only my mom and my girlfriend call me Mike, it's a childhood nickname. And Nika is a pretty name, and unusual", he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Balzary. It means Victory in Greek, the feminine form", she replied.

"Cool, I didn't know that. Let's go before the others get worried", said Flea.

Nika got in the backseat and John got in the front. "Is there any particular music you like?", asked Flea.

"I like jazz and Mozart", she replied.

"Wow, that's awesome. I love bebop, I prefer Dizzy Gillespie since I play the trumpet. Let me see what what I got", he muttered as he rummaged around in the glove compartment. "Ah, here's some Dizzy", he said, shoving a CD into the player as Gillespie played over the speakers.

The drive towards their rehearsal space was a pleasant one as Dizzy Gillespie blared from the speakers. Flea hummed along to the trumpet lines and Nika was concerned he was going to crash but he drove through the suburban streets of the valley, the bebop blaring from the speakers causing a few curious stares. Flea pulled into the parking lot of a nondescript gray warehouse and John opened the door for her. Nika smoothed out the skirt of her navy sailor dress and made sure her hair ribbon was in place before she followed them inside.

A muscular man of average height with short bleached blond hair was talking with a very tall muscled man in a Detroit Tigers baseball cap when they entered. 'Hey, you must be John's daughter. I'm Anthony, I'm the singer", said the man with short blond hair.

"And I'm Chad, the drummer", said the tall man.

Nika dropped into a curtsy as the men looked startled. "I am very glad to meet you, sirs", she said solemnly.

"Wow, I haven't seen that since my sister's ballet class", said Anthony in surprise.

"Her grandparents are British", John replied.

"Maybe, but I agree with Anthony. I've never seen that except for really old movies", said Chad.

"It's not a bad thing, just different. We were startled, that's all", said Anthony.

Nika just nodded and hoped they would leave her alone. "Mom said ladies always curtsy when introduced to people", she said.

"Oh, but in the US it's seen as a little weird and formal. You can do it, but people will think it's weird", said Chad.

Nika was silent and just wanted to start reading her book. Fortunately for her, the band found their instruments and started a jam. At first she thought the music was too noisy but got used to it as a sort of white noise as she began to read.

Two hours later, the band took a little break. Anthony handed John a bottle of water. "John, your daughter acts far older than she is. Is she all right?", he asked.

"She was raised by her mom and grandparents, they're very British. But she hasn't cried for her mom, I'm concerned", said John.

"Maybe she's still in shock", Flea suggested.

"I don't know, she's very stoic. Should I take her to a therapist?", he asked.

"Give it time, she's lost her mom and is living with her dad she barely knows. If she continues like this, then maybe", said Chad.

John drank his water and watched Nika. She was perched on a wooden stool and reading quietly, her curly hair falling around her slim shoulders. Unlike other children he knew, she didn't squirm or fidget or get bored but calmly read the book. It reminded him of himself when he was a child reading a good book or into his meditation, a smile forming on his lips.

She looked up from the book. "Dad, are you all right?", she asked.

"Yeah, but you're very still for a child", he said.

"It is, and Mom said ladies don't fidget. Girls got more self-control than boys", she replied.

"I guess, I was a quiet kid. We're about to order lunch, is there anything you'd like?", he asked.

"Whatever you want", she answered with a shrug.

"Do you want pizza, burgers, that sort of thing?", he asked.

"I don't eat junk food, Mom said it's bad for you", she said.

John was concerned by her robotic answer. "Uh, okay. But what about what you want for lunch?", he asked.

'Whatever you want", she repeated.

John sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "One moment", he said.

He looked through a drawer and found a menu for a Middle Eastern place and showed it to her. "Order whatever you like", he said.

Nika looked at the menu and nodded. "I'll have the tabbouleh salad with mineral water", she replied.

"Are you sure? Most kids don't like that", he said.

"I do", she replied coolly.

John just shrugged and wrote down her order on a notepad. He got the rest of the orders and called the restaurant to order the food. "So Nika, what kind of music do you like?", asked Chad.

"I like Mozart and jazz", she replied.

The group exchanged looks. "My daughter likes the Spice Girls", said Flea.

"So does mine", said Chad.

"The Spice Girls have no talent, Mom said it was junk", said Nika.

"Nika, you can't call something junk because your mother said so. You have to make up your own mind about what you like and don't like", said John.

"But what if it's worthless junk? Pop music and cartoons are junk", she replied matter-of-factly.

"A lot of fun stuff is junk, we all grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons and eating cereal with marshmallows", said Anthony as the others nodded.

"I don't watch cartoons, I like PBS and BBC. Cartoons make you stupid", said Nika.

"Nika, it isn't nice to call things stupid", said John.

"That's what Mom said", she said.

John gave his bandmates a helpless look. "Give it time, she needs to adjust", said Flea.

The band did more rehearsals after lunch until four that afternoon. "We'll see you guys tomorrow", said Anthony.

"Yeah, we're going to sound awesome on tour", said Flea.

"Nika, it slipped my mind but in two weeks we're going on tour. You're staying with Mildred, but I'll call each night", he said.

"All right, where are you going?", she asked.

"We're going to play some shows in the Midwest for two weeks. We take a week off and then we go back on tour for two weeks, next we go to the East Coast. We finished our West Coast tour two weeks ago", said John.

"Okay. I hope you have a nice tour", she replied.

John frowned at her indifferent reply, a heavy feeling in his heart. Flea put an arm around his shoulder and gave his friend a reassuring smile. "Give it time, John", he said.


	7. Chapter 7

"You've never been to a shopping mall before? This is going to be fun", said Clara happily.

"Okay, but what's the big deal about shopping? Everyone needs clothes", said Nika.

"But it's fun to shop, malls are fun. You're really going to like it", said the red-haired.

Nika smiled wanly at her. They were at Flea's house getting ready to go shopping at the mall for new clothes. John was reading from a book of Buddhist proverbs from Flea's bookshelf he waited. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and Nika wondered if he was always cold. "Nika, you can get anything you want. Anything", he said.

"It's not nice to be greedy", she replied dubiously.

"You're not being greedy, you're my daughter and I want to buy you nice things. Just get what you want", said John.

"All right, let's go", said Flea.

The group got into his black BMW and the radio was tuned to Clara's favorite pop station which played Wannabe by the Spice Girls. Nika tried not to look aghast since it wasn't polite, but she thought the song was horrible and wondered how a smart girl like Clara could possibly listen to this rubbish. "Dad took me to see them at the Forum last year, it was a great show. And we got to meet them, they were nice and so British", said Clara.

"Remember the time we dressed up as the Spice Girls for your birthday?", teased Flea.

"Ohh, that was awesome! Dad, Anthony and John dressed up as the Spice Girls. Dad was Baby Spice, Anthony was Posh Spice and John was Sporty Spice", said Clara.

"Yeah, there was no way I was wearing a dress and makeup, so I was Sporty Spice in a tracksuit. You girls were screaming", teased John.

"Yeah, because you were guys in dresses made up like the Spice Girls. We thought we were going to see the real group", said Clara.

"If you dressed up as a woman, are you gay?", asked Nika.

Both Flea and John burst into laughter. "Haha, no. I was married and have a girlfriend", said Flea.

"And although I'm celibate, I know I'm straight since I've had girlfriends. And trust me, Anthony is not gay at all", said John as his face was still red from laughing.

"Okay, but it looks weird", said Nika dubiously.

Flea parked in the lot of the mall as Nika looked on with wide eyes and her hands trembled when she saw all the cars and people. John smiled reassuringly at her and took her by the hand. "I used to be scared of big crowds too, which is why I had trouble when the band got really big", he said.

Nika still felt terrified even though she held his hand hard. The sheer number of people threatened to overwhelm her as the group went inside the mall. "We're going to buy some clothes first, that's the most important", said John.

Their first stop was dELiA's as Nika looked on in distaste. The store with it's brightly colored clothes and loud pop music made her cringe as Clara eagerly went inside. "I love this place, the clothes are amazing", she said happily.

"I hope they have clothes in dark colors", said Nika, looking at the bright colors in disgust.

"Buy what you want, Nika", said John.

Nika was disappointed and upset that all the clothes were brightly-colored and sparkly. "You like dark colors? I can see why, you look like Snow White", said Clara as Flea paid for her things.

"Really? I never had anyone tell me that before", replied Nika.

"You do look like Snow White, dark colors would look good on you. I want to be a fashion designer when I grow up, Mom says I have an eye for clothes", said Clara.

The red-haired girl smiled at her and Nika returned it tentatively. "You might prefer the Gap, the clothes might suit you better", said Clara.

Nika was grateful when they went to the Gap and she saw the neutral colors and heard the soft electronic music on the speakers. "This is so not punk rock", joked Flea.

"Pick whatever you like", said John.

Nika felt more at ease here as she quickly picked out some dark blue and black pants, neutral-colored shirts and dark skirts. "Anything else you want?", he asked.

"I'm good, Dad. Is there a bookstore here?", she asked.

"Yeah, on the third floor. Let's do a bit more shopping and get lunch, then we go", said John.

Nika tried to be patient as the group went to a few more stores. "John, the management is going to send out a press release about Nika, so people don't get the wrong idea", said Flea.

"Good, I don't want anyone to think ill of Nika. Even though she was conceived while I was drunk, she is still my daughter", replied John.

"Of course, but she still needs time to get adjusted to be used to you. Just be patient, and if you have any questions, just let me know", said Flea.

Nika was still impatient when the group went to the food court for lunch. "Wow, you really want to see that bookstore", said Clara.

"I love to read, my books haven't arrived yet", said Nika as they stood in line at the Chinese booth.

"I prefer art and drawing, art is my favorite class at school. It might be genetic, since Dad is a musician", said Clara.

"I could read by the age of three", said Nika.

"Awesome, I learned when I was four cuz Dad taught me", said Clara.

The girls got their food and found a table with their dads. "We can go to the bookstore after lunch", said John as he set down his plate of vegetables and tofu.

"Thanks, I want to see if they have any more books by Mr. Murakami, I liked the book", she said.

"A lot of his work really isn't appropriate for kids", he warned.

"The Iliad and the Odyssey have a lot of sex and violence", she said matter-of-factly.

"I have no idea, I haven't read either of them in so long, they were the kids' versions", said John.

"In the Iliad, Achilles kills Hector and drags him being his chariot to avenge his boyfriend Patroclus and he takes Briseis as his slave", said Nika as she ate her lunch.

The absurdity of the situation registered to John as very darkly comic. Nika was a child in her prim navy blue sailor dress telling him about the sex and violence in the Iliad. A squeaky giggle escaped his throat as he held a napkin to his mouth to hide his guffaw. "I'm sorry, but that is funny. You're a kid, Nika. You shouldn't be talking about that, he chided as he regained his composure.

"I have an IQ of 135", she replied coolly.

"Really? But you should be a kid, have fun", said John.

"It's fun to read books", she replied.

John decided to let the matter drop but resolved to find a therapist for his daughter. "Dad, you read a lot", she said.

"Yes, but I do other things. Sometimes I go to dance clubs, I love acid house and jungle. I don't take Ecstasy or drink, but I love the music", said John.

Nika's eyes went wide and then crinkled at the corners when she smiled as John was nearly taken aback. When she smiled, her face lost its usual seriousness and seemed much younger, purple highlights glowing in her dark blue eyes. "I love dancing!", she exclaimed.

"That's great! What sort of music do you dance too?", he asked.

"Motown and Northern Soul, my cousin runs a Northern Soul club in Tokyo. It's my reward if I do well in my coursework", she said.

"Nika, dancing should not be a reward for good grades. Dancing is supposed to be spontaneous and fun", said John.

"But what if I do poorly in my studies?", she asked.

"When you go to school, you'll see how you're doing with grades", he said.

Nika nodded and vowed that she would get nothing but A's. She figured that would be easy since her mom had said that dumb kids went to school, and if they picked on her it was because of jealousy.

She was relieved when lunch was over and the group went up the third floor to the bookstore. Nika's face broke into a grin when she saw the shiny displays of books, as she darted around glancing up at the placards with the sections. "Whoa, you almost knocked me over", teased Josh as she came to a halt.

"Sorry, Mr. Klinghoffer. Do you know where I can find Mr. Murakami's books?", she asked.

Josh raised an eyebrow. "Please call me Josh, Mr. Klinghoffer is my dad. I suppose it's either in the general fiction, or maybe the Japanese section", he replied.

"Hey Josh, normally you go to the used bookstores", said John.

"I know, but Bob asked me to find a pregnancy book since his girlfriend is due in two months", said Josh.

"Okay, I suppose a used bookstore wouldn't be the best place for that. Tell Bob congratulations, I wouldn't know what to do", said John.

"Who's Bob?", she asked.

"He's my boss, he's the lead singer of Bicycle Thief. I play guitar and other stuff, whatever Bob needs", replied Josh.

"Bob is a great guy, we've known each other since the early 80's. He helped me through a rough time", said John.

"Okay, I think this is the section for pregnant ladies stuff", she said, showing him the Pregnancy and Obstetrics section.

"Thanks, Nika. And I'll try to find you Mr. Murakami's books", he said kindly.

Flea and Clara had gone over to the YA section as Josh quickly placed some books in a green mesh bag. "I don't want people to think I'm the one with a pregnant girlfriend", he explained. 

"Do you have a girlfriend?", she asked.

Josh blushed as he adjusted the black beanie on his head. "Uh, I'm single. I busy recording with your dad and Bob in Bicycle Thief, plus I got a lot of shows around the area or art galleries. Maybe later", he mumbled.

John clapped the younger man on the back. "Same here, I don't date either. I used to be a jerk towards women and this is my atonement", he said.

"In my case, I'm busy and I'm not the best-looking guy out there", said Josh ruefully.

"You're not ugly", Nika blurted out.

Josh giggled and turned the color of pickled beets, a deep purplish-red. "Uh, thanks", he mumbled. Josh wore his usual black sweatpants and an orange t-shirt underneath a black cardigan, a black beanie perched atop his head. The baggy clothes had the unfortunate effect of making him look even skinnier than he was, the dark colors also accentuating his pallor and the beanie his long nose.

"My friends says I shouldn't wear baggy clothes all the time, but I like to be comfortable. And my parents don't mind anymore since I'm getting paid regularly and Bicycle Thief is starting to become popular. I live with my parents in the valley", he explained.

"Plus Bicycle Thief is opening up for us on the next tour", John reminded him.

"I know, I'm excited. I've been to New York to visit relatives, but otherwise I've never been out of California", said Josh.

"Hey, I've gotten used to touring. I don't hate it anymore, enjoy it while you can", said John. 

They found Murakami's novels in the Asian fiction section as John placed them in a green mesh bag. He kept a close eye on Nika as she darted between the aisles, pausing at the fantasy section when she saw a large coffee table book on a display table opened up to reveal a scaly green dragon breathing fire. "This looks cool, do you want it?", asked John.

Nika hesitated. The book with the dragon looked gorgeous but she didn't want to seem greedy for wanting such a beautiful, frivolous book. "Nika, I'll get it for you, I have plenty of money", said John.

"Really, I don't want to be greedy", she protested.

"You are not greedy, I like spoiling my daughter. Let me get it for you", said John.

Nika gave her father a smile. "I'm going to pay for these nd hopefully the cashier doesn't give us funny looks", said Josh.

"Don't you want more books?", she asked.

"Yeah, but I have too many books in my room at home. I have more books than clothes, plus they're cheaper", he chuckled as John gave him a knowing look.

"Josh, you know where I can buy Northern Soul albums?", asked John while waiting in line.

"Oh yeah, at used record shops or anyplace that specializes in British imports. CD's suck for that kind of music", replied John as he filed away this information for later use.


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm going to do some shopping with Josh, so behave yourself with Mildred and the cats", said John.

"All right, Dad. I'll be in the library", she replied.

Bianca and Gabriel glanced up from the water dish and padded over to the TV. "They like to watch PB, especially the nature shows", he explained.

Nika turned on the TV and changed the channel over to the local PBS affiliate. The cats sat on cushions in front of the TV and watched a rerun of Nature about lemurs. She quickly grew bored with the show and saw that John was still there as she went up to her room to get a book. Her furniture had come in earlier that week and had already been set up, the daybed covered in a purple quilt leaning against the wall. Two of the other walls were lined with shelves bursting with books some piled on top of each other because of the lack of space. On top of the low shelves was a vinyl record player with an antique horn in a brilliant deep blue. However, the room did not have any records since her mother had kept them and they still had not yet arrived.

Nika scanned the shelves and found her new Murakami book as she headed downstairs. "I'll be back later, I have to pack for the tour. Don't worry, I'll call and send postcards, if you want", he said.

"Okay, have fun", she replied.

John tried not to be upset by her coolness as he left, seeing Josh's beat-up pickup truck on his street. "Maybe at the end of the tour, I can finally get a new car. It's being held together by bailing wire and chewing gum", said Josh as John got in the passenger's side.

"You will, this is a major tour. What kind of car do you want?", asked John.

"A Volkswagen Jetta, since Beetles aren't made anymore. Or a Volvo, something European but not expensive. American cars suck and Japanese cars are boring", replied Josh as he shoved a Radiohead cassette into the player.

"And get one with a CD player", teased John.

"Hah, I think new cars have them. I still have a lot of cassettes, maybe I can have both. But even better would be a vinyl player, but they haven't invented that yet", he laughed.

John hoped that Josh did get a new car since the old truck was a piece of junk the younger man had bought for $500 from an ad in the newspaper. The interior was strewn with fast food wrappers and boxes, empty cigarette boxes and spent butts in Styrofoam cups, the trash giving off sour, smoky aroma. While the exterior had gotten the minimum car wash, the fender was dented and the paint job had dulled to a dark blue-gray whose edges were rusty. A glance at the odometer showed that the truck had nearly 300,000 miles on it after 15 years of services as it steadily made its way downhill. 

John was relieved when Josh pulled in the lot of Poo Bah's used record store. "They got the best selection of vinyl in the Valley, especially British stuff", he said enthusiastically.

The store was half-full with the usual sorts who came to vinyl record stores: hipsters, college students, hippies young and old, punk rockers, suburban teenagers and a few bewildered preppy types. Josh made a beeline towards the UK imports section and scanned the placards until he came to the R&B and soul section. "Knock yourself out, I'll be looking for some Japanese imports", said Josh.

John flipped through the vinyl compilations of Northern Soul and wondered where to start. Each of the albums seemed to have cover photos of attractive women in mod clothes dancing and he could only recognize some of the songs and artists. "Do you need help?", asked one of the clerks, a young man with long brown hair who spoke with a Scouse accent.

"Yeah, I'm looking for Northern Soul albums for my daughter", he replied.

"Ah, my Dad used to go dancing at the Blackpool Mecca back in the day and I grew up hearing it. This just came in, it's part of a set that came in", he said, handing him a vinyl.

"Do you have the others in the set?", asked John.

"Let me see, we ordered several sets of these from a UK exporter since they're so popular", replied the clerk.

The clerk went behind the counter and dug through a milk crate of shrink-wrapped vinyl. "Oh, here they are", he said, handing him three other similar albums in different lettering.

"I'll take these", said John.

The clerk nodded as he rung them up and placed them in a canvas bag with the store's logo. Josh was behind him with an armload of vinyl as set down on the counter. "Royalty check", he explained.

Josh beamed like a kid on Christmas morning as he picked up the bag of vinyl and led them out the door. "I paid Mom and Dad rent last week and my share of the groceries, I got something left", said Josh.

Both men got in the truck as Josh turned on the engine and drove a bit until they reached the library. "I ordered some books and they always have good stuff on sale", he explained.

John followed him inside the library as Josh went up to the front desk and showed his card while the librarian handed him a small stack of books which he placed inside a plastic shopping bag. He then went over to the used book section and scanned the shelves of paperbacks, children's books and encyclopedia volumes until he found large coffee table books of Impressionist art for a dollar each. Josh paid for the books and both men carried them back to the truck. "Where do you put all this stuff?", John wondered aloud.

"My room, I have a lot of shelves. What doesn't fit I put in my closet or the basement shelves. It's cheaper than being hooked on anime or buying antiques, plus it doesn't rot your brain like video games. Besides, one of the books is for Mom", said Josh.

"Yeah, your parents are coming around?", asked John.

"Yeah, especially since Bicycle Thief is starting to get popular and we're going on tour with you guys. Having your son be a high school dropout at 15 isn't exactly cool", said Josh dryly.

"Of course not, but you weren't meant to be in high school. I wasn't meant to be in school either, both of us are born musicians", John mused aloud.

Josh drove back into the Hollywood Hill just before rush hour was about to start. "Josh, do you want to stay for dinner? It'll take forever to drive back to the valley during rush hour", said Josh.

"Okay, but I need to call Mom and Dad", said Josh.

Josh pulled into the driveway of the house and the men carried the bags inside. When John opened the door, the cats immediately scrambled off the couch and meowed loudly as they greeted him. "Whoa, one moment guys", he teased.

"The cats just watched PBS and were quiet. Did you have a good time?", asked Nika, putting down her book.

"Yeah, this is for you. Josh helped me pick it out", said John as he handed her the bag of vinyl.

Nika accepted the bag and looked inside, her eyes going wide in delight. "Ohh, thank you!", she exclaimed.

"The clerk at Poo Bah's helped me out, it's a set of Northern Soul albums and each is a music from a certain club", he explained.

"I'll go listen to them later after I finish reading", she said.

"Why don't you listen to them now?", asked John.

"I haven't gotten good marks yet, Mom said I couldn't listen to music unless I got good marks and did everything correctly", she replied.

"Okay, but this is summer and there's no school", said John in confusion.

"I was homeschooled, I had lessons everyday", she explained.

"Okay, what sort of lessons?", he asked.

Nika set down her book and cleared her throat before reciting something in Latin. John was dumbstruck and in awe as she spoke Latin from memory, his jaw nearly on the ground as Josh looked just as amazed. "What was that?", he asked in shock.

"Book I of the Aeneid, which tells about how Aeneas and his family tried to escape the sack of Troy. Do you want to hear more?", she asked.

"Uh, I'm good. Now you can put on the record", said John.

Josh snapped out of his trance to quickly call his parents, still shocked that a little kid could speak Latin. John unwrapped a record and set up the record player before placing the album on the turntable and dropping the needle. There was a slight hiss and then bass-heavy, Motown-type music came over the speakers. 

John stood and watched as Nika started dancing in a sort of shuffling, free-form athletic style. After a moment, he joined her and started dancing as Josh looked on with bemusement. John danced awkwardly as he flailed his arms and legs, his long curly hair bouncing around his shoulders. 

The record ended as both father and daughter laughed with flushed faces. "Let me catch my breath", he panted.

"Josh, why don't you dance?", she asked.

"I got a trick knee, skateboarding accident. I wear a brace and I don't want to blow out my knee", he explained.

"Dad, we can listen to the rest later. I'm only supposed to listen to one record a day", said Nika.

"What, did your mom tell you that? Nika, you can listen to as albums as you want", he said in shock.

"Really? Am I being greedy?", she asked warily.

"Nika, you can listen to as much music as you want. You can listen to my albums too, I'll show you how to load the record player and use the the CD player", said John.

"Wow, that's crazy. My parents let me listen to as much music as I wanted, as long as it wasn't offensive. You're not greedy at all", said Josh.

John's hands were steady as he lifted the album off the turntable and placed it back in the sleeve before adding another one, but his mind was troubled. the way Nika spoke about her mother made him think his daughter had been abused in some way, not physically but mentally. He vowed to find her a therapist once the tour was over as he dropped the needle on the record.


	9. Chapter 9

Nika watched as John closed the suitcase and took the bags by the door. "Have a safe trip, Dad", she said.

"I will, I'll be back in two weeks. Is there anything in particular you want?", he asked.

"No, I'm good", she replied very quickly.

"Nika, I'll get whatever you want. Don't worry", said John.

"Just some books on ancient Egypt, I'm trying to learn more about them", she replied quietly.

"Okay, I'll get you some really good books on ancient Egypt. Not kiddie ones, good ones", promised John.

"Thanks, Dad", she replied shyly.

"No problems. Just be a good girl and listen to Mildred, Mom and Dad are flying in on Tuesday. They're staying for a week", said John.

Nika nodded as her heart pounded in fear. "Relax, Nika. Mom and Dad are thrilled to meet their new granddaughter, they never thought they'd be grandparents. They're great people", he said kindly.

Nika said nothing but the idea of meeting new people made her stomach churn and bile rise up in her throat. She resolved to be on the absolute best behavior so that John's parents would not be ashamed of her. She was startled when a car horn honked outside and the cats yowled. "Oh, that's Flea. Goodbye Nika, Bianca and Gabriel", he said. Nika stiffened when John hugged her and she thought he frowned but it quickly vanished to be replaced by a smile.

John took his suitcase and placed it in the trunk of Flea's car before getting in the passenger's seat. "Nika looked terrified of meeting my parents", he said.

"She's met a lot of new people, give her time to adjust. She's only been living with you for a few wees and recently lost her mother", Flea reminded him.

"I'm worried because she's so calm otherwise, I wish she would get mad or cry or something. I don't think normal kids are that calm" said John.

"Her family is British, they're not exactly the sort to let it all hang out", said Flea.

"Says the wild and crazy Australian. But seriously, I'm concerned since kids aren't supposed to be like that", said John.

"Give it time, her and Clara get along really well", said Flea.

"I'm glad, I don't think Nika even had much contact with other children. It seems as though she was mostly around grownups, her grandparents are nice but very proper and British", said John.

John had to chuckle when he saw the eager look on Josh's face when they arrived at the airport, looking out of place in his baggy black sweatpants and black oversized t-shirt. "The more you tour, the more you'll get used to it", teased Anthony.

Bob Forrest came over and handed Josh a cup of tea. "This is an upgrade, I started touring out of a car with Thelonious Monster", he said. Even though he was the same age as Anthony and Flea, Bob looked much older because he was two years sober after being an addict for over fifteen years. His weathered face was lined and deep crow's feet stood out at the corners of his eyes, accentuated by his oversized glasses. He wore a long sleeved red t-shirt whose sleeves went past his wrists to cover up his track marks, his shoulder-length hair dyed a vivid red to hide the gray.

Bob sipped his own tea. "If you need any advice about your daughter, let me know. The same thing happened to me, my ex was pregnant when we broke up and she didn't tell me about our son until I got sober", he said.

"Thanks, Bob. I'm just concerned that she's so reserved and quiet, I know she lost her mother and her family is British, but something seems off", said John.

"Elijah acted weird like that when I first met him, his mother's new boyfriend didn't want him around.. You have to be patient and show that you're not going to abandon them. My son thought I was going to dump him in foster care if he misbehaved, that's what his mom said", Bob replied with an edge in his voice.

"Whoa, I'd never do that", John exclaimed.

"I know, you got a big heart. But really, just be the best dad you can be for your daughter", said Bob.

John became thoughtful and followed the group as they boarded the charter plane. He recalled when he'd just met Bob's son Elijah, how scared and bewildered the boy was. His mother had practically dumped him on Bob and he was understandably wary. He mused that if Nika was still timid and nervous after a month, then he could find a child therapist.

"So John, are charter planes faster than regular planes?", asked Josh.

"Oh yeah, since they're smaller. We'll fly into St. Louis downtown airport in Cahokia, Illinois where the bus is waiting. You and Bob are on our bus since it's only you two, the crew gets it's own bus", replied John.

"I can't wait", sighed Josh.

"You are going to get sick of that bus, Josh. but I understand, I was excited for my first tour too", said John in understanding.


	10. Chapter 10

Nika's hands shook as she smoothed down the pleats of her skirt while Mildred brushed her hair. "Mr. and Mrs. Frusciante are very kind people, Miss Nika. They will be delighted to meet their granddaughter", said the older woman.

"But what if I'm a disappointment? I hate meeting new people", she muttered.

"You won't be a disappointment, you're their only grandchild", said Mildred.

Nika smiled wanly at the older woman and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wore one of her new Gap dresses, a navy blue sailor dress with white trim. Matching knee socks with red cherries and red and white stripes on the hemlines added contrast. A navy blue bow perched atop her dark curls and her new black patent leather shoes shone in the sunlight.

There was a knock on the door and Nika immediately stood up straight and her heart beat furiously in her chest. Mildred went to get the door and an older couple entered the house. The man was of average height and stout with curly salt and pepper thinning hair on top of his head. The woman was the same height as the man with wavy dark brown hair and warm brown eyes. "Hello Mildred, we can't wait to meet our granddaughter", said the woman.

Nika took a deep breath and came forward and dropped into a curtsy. "Ohh, how sweet!", exclaimed the woman.

Nika slowly rose from the curtsy and gave them a little smile. "Hello, I am Nika Lacroix, Mr. and Mrs. Frusciante", she said solemnly.

"My goodness, you look just like John with those curls. Please call us Grandma and Grandpa, or Nonna and Nonno, it's Italian", said the woman.

"Grandma and Grandpa is fine. I'm sorry Dad can't be here, he's on tour", said Nika.

"We know, we saw the band on the last tour when they played Madison Square Garden. Maybe when we can see them on this tour, either in LA or New York", said the man.

"I would like to see New York, I want to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art", said Nika.

"Maybe when you come and visit us. But we are going to relax first, at our ages flying nonstop across the country is tiring", said her grandfather John Sr. ruefully.

"All right, your room is upstairs. Dad and Mildred fixed it up, I hope you will like it", she said.

"Nika, you are very formal for a little girl", said Gail, her grandmother.

"My mother's family is British, that is how I was raised", she replied.

"It's cute, but we're Americans. I suppose you're still getting used to losing your mom and living with John", said Gail kindly.

"I am getting used to these new arrangements", said Nika.

Gail and John Sr. exchanged a concerned look. "Nika, we'll rest up and after lunch we'll go out somewhere. Do you want to see a movie?", asked Gail.

"Yes, thank you", she replied.

Nika showed the older couple upstairs to their room as the cats followed. "This one is my room and Dad's is at the end of the hallway", she said.

"We know, Nika. We're first going to rest and then we have lunch and take you to the movies", said Gail.

Nika closed their door and went back downstairs followed by the cats. She turned on the TV and put on PBS for them and found the morning's newspaper, opening it to find the movie listings. She frowned when she saw the G-rated and Disney films but her eyes lit up when she saw that several local movie theaters were showing Gladiator. The idea of watching a film about ancient Rome excited her as she decided to continue reading Mr. Murakami's book. 

The hour passed pleasantly as she read and the cats watched PBS. "Miss Mildred, did I behave well with my grandparents?", she asked.

"Yes, but you shouldn't be so formal with them. They are your grandparents and very nice people", the older woman chided gently.

"But Mom always said to be polite to older people", she protested.

"That's if you're dealing with people who aren't your family. Mr. and Mrs. Frusciante are lovely people and they must be thrilled to meet their granddaughter, since your dad is an only child and they never thought they would be grandparents", said Mildred.

"All right. They seem nice, like my other grandparents Pepere and Grandmere. I'm not good at meeting new people", she said.

"Not everyone is outgoing. But believe me, your grandparents are very nice people and they must be thrilled to finally have a grandchild", said Mildred.

Nika nodded as she became thoughtful. She wondered if her grandparents read a lot of books like Pepere and her father, and if they wouldn't mind seeing Gladiator. The idea of seeing a kids' movie revolted her because of their general silliness, the sensation as though her brain was being sucked out.

"Hello, Grandma and Grandpa. Are you feeling better?", she asked when John Sr. and Gail entered the kitchen.

"We're feeling better, Nika. I was thinking, we could go to the mall for lunch and watch a movie. What do want to see?", asked John. Sr.

"If it's no problem, I want to see Gladiator. I love ancient Rome and I hate children's movies", she explained.

"Oh, but that's a grownup movie", said Gail dubiously.

"I like grownup things. I'm reading a novel by Mr. Murakami", said Nika, showing them the book.

"Wow, that's amazing. All right, but there might be scary stuff in it", warned John Sr.


	11. Chapter 11

Nika followed her grandparents to their rental car outside. "It's been so long since we thought we were going to be grandparents, John had so many problems. It's great to see that he's doing so well with the band, we were so worried", said Gail as John Sr. opened the door.

"What happened to Dad?", she asked.

"Oh, I want John to tell you. But I will say that John had a lot of problems from where he was to where he is now, it's like night and day", said Gail.

Nika was thoughtful as they got in the car. She wondered what exactly her father had done since he seemed like a kind gentleman. She knew she would ask John when he came back from touring, as she did not want other people to overhear on the phone. "Your father will tell you later, but he was in very bad shape. He's lucky to be alive", said John Sr.

Nika mused on this new information and wondered if he had cancer or was injured in some way. She had to smile when John Sr. put on an oldies station and the Beach Boys sang I Get Around, the music appropriate to the warm sunny day. Soon they were on 1-10 heading east into Orange County as John Sr. followed the signs towards Anaheim. "This part of LA reminds us of New Jersey or Long Island, with all the suburbs and malls", said Gail.

"I know, but with palm trees. If we ever did move out here, this is where we'd go", said John Sr.

They parked in the enormous lot of the shopping mall that Nika didn't recognize. She smiled shyly at her grandparents as they held her hands and led her inside. The malls was fuller than normal with kids out during summer vacation and accompanied by parents and teenagers by themselves. The PA played the latest pop music as the saccharine pop echoed off the walls, much to her dismay. The clothing stores were the same as the ones at the other mall as she found the directory and looked at the stores. "I want to see the bookstore", she declared.

"John said you love to read, he loves reading and was always either reading or playing guitar", said Gail.

Nika led them towards a music store. She dismissed the pop and rock CD's as s he made a beeline for the classical section, scanning the racks before finding Mozart. "Magic Flute is so lovely, I've seen it on PBS", she said, holding up a CD of the opera.

"Oh, Mozart. Okay then, is there anything else you want?", asked Gail.

"I also like 60's pop and jazz. I heard some of Dad's band's music, I went to their rehearsal. It's very loud, but the slow songs are nice", said Nika.

"Do you know the name of John's band?", asked John Sr.

"No, but they seem nice", she replied.

Gail and John Sr. exchanged a look. They took her over to the front of the store and pointed out the big cardboard cutout of the Californication album cover.   
"That is Dad's band?", she whispered.

"Yes, that's their latest album. It's already gone triple platinum", said Gail.

It finally hit her how big a band her father played in. Now Nika felt guilty for not liking his music, wondering if she was disloyal. "Wow, I had no idea. I don't listen to pop music", she whispered.

"Most kids your age don't listen to rock music, that's all right. Their music is all over the radio and MTV, and John wrote much of their music", said Gail.

"You must be proud of him", she commented.

"We are, especially now that he's better and successful", said John Sr.

Nika insisted that they get all the band's CD's as they went to pay for them. "I want to hear all their music", she explained.

"He only did three albums with them, they had other guitarists. We were so proud of John when he had his first success with the band, but he didn't handle it well. Now he's much better", said Gail.

Nika was more intrigued and wanted to know exactly what her grandfather meant. She wondered what it meant that he couldn't handle success, if that meant h e was doing silly things or hated being famous, spending money too much. They had lunch at the food court and then went to the mall's movie theater as they got in line to get tickets. After getting the tickets, her grandfather bought a large tub of popcorn and three sodas before going to the theater. "You can't go to the movies without popcorn", he joked.

The mound of yellow glistening popcorn looked so tempting as Nika gingerly took a small handful and ate a little more as her grandparents smiled indulgently. "Just don't spoil your appetite", teased Gail.

After a few commercials and upcoming previews, the film started. The dirt and grunginess of the Roman encampment and the gladiator barracks was in stark contrast to the lush decadence of Commodus' palace, in contrast to his noble father Marcus Aurelius' humble tent. The horror of Maximus' family being slaughtered and of him being forced into fighting as a gladiator to his ultimate triumph on killing Commodus before he himself was killed made her thoughtful.

"Marcus Aurelius didn't want to turn Rome into a Republic, the Senate would not have allowed that after Julius Caesar. And there was no real Maximus, plus there's a lot of inaccuracies, it didn't even use real Latin", said Nika once the movie was over.

"Really, I didn't know. Do you speak Latin?", teased John Sr.

"Ita, ego sare Latine, avus. I can read it too", said Nika.

"Wow, that's amazing! All I know is English", said the older man in shock.

"Latin is fairly easy if you know a Romance language. I know how to speak French and Spanish", said Nika.

"John has to find an appropriate school, since your academics are far more advanced than other kids. Who taught you?", asked Gail.

"Mom and Pepere, my other grandpa. She was a professor of Classics and Pepere is a professor of Byzantine history, he's written a lot of books", she replied.

"I'm afraid we only graduated high school, I do sing in my church choir but I'm not sure exactly where John got his musical talent", said Gail.


	12. Chapter 12

"When I went on tour for the first time, I never thought I would be doing this", said Josh with a laugh.

"What did you think was going to happen on tour? Sex, drugs and rock and roll? I don't do the first two, but there's plenty of the last one", teased John.

"Hah, I meant it would be a little more eventful. I mean, it's cool to go on tour and see all these different places. But I like it, I've been all over LA and New York but I've never been to the Midwest, I've just flown over it", said Josh.

"This is the best bookstore in Chicago, I try to find used bookstores or record stores in each place we play. I might need to get an extra room for books and vinyls", said John.

"Same here", agreed Josh.

John adjusted his sunglasses and black beanie hat before he led Josh inside Myopic Bookstore. The massive used bookstore in Chicago was spread out on three floors with shelves nearly up to the ceiling stuffed with books. Josh's eyes went wide in delight and he immediately knew he was going to be buying something. "I was the same way when I first got here, the first tour we did after we got sober. When I was a younger guy, every tour stop I'd be trying to hook up with girls", he said ruefully.

"Girls are not interesting in my pasty, skinny self. Oh well", said Josh with a shrug.

The men grabbed plastic baskets and stalked the aisles. "I'm going to find a good book on ancient Egypt for Nika. I know she's not going to like some kiddie book", said John.

"Yeah, she seems like a very smart girl. I wouldn't have liked reading a kiddie book on Egypt either", said Josh in agreement.

The two men went over to the ancient history section and started browsing. While many of the books were about ancient Greece and Rome, the store did have a sizable amount of books on ancient Egypt. John could only shake his head when he scanned the back cover of a book which claimed that aliens built the pyramids. "Oh yeah, I read that one, I got it at a flea market. It's crap, aliens didn't built the pyramids, slaves did. And some of my ancestors might have been among them", Josh quipped.

"Hah, maybe some of mine too since Mom is half-Jewish. But really, someone's watched too much Stargate", said John.

"This looks like a good one, it's an Oxford book", said Josh.

"Yeah, it does. And it's in British English, her grandparents are British", said John as he placed the book in the basket.

"That is awesome. I'd love to be part-British, maybe one day I can visit England. That's been my dream since I was a kid", sighed Josh.

"England and the UK in general are too cold and rainy for my tastes, I've lived in California too long. Plus the food sucks, it's bad for my system", said John.

"I love British food and I like the rain and chill. I can wear baggy clothes all the time and not look like a weirdo", Josh laughed.

"You were born in the wrong state", teased John.

"I know, I'm not a California guy at all. Maybe I was British in another life, but then again, my Mom is Irish", said Josh with a shrug.

"I'm a quarter Irish, my family's all mixed up", said John.

"Maybe one day I'll get to see England, I want to go someplace cold", said Josh.

John had to smile when he saw Josh half an hour later with his basket laden with books, the skinny young man barely able to carry it. "You'll have to stash it under the bunk", he remarked.

"Yeah, I have too many books at home. But my parents are glad that at least I don't drink or take drugs. Plus used books are a reasonably cheap hobby, and they don't rot your brain like video games", said Josh.

John nodded in agreement as he took the books out of the basket and the clerk rang them up, the Oxford history book and several books by Buddhist writers. "No wonder you're so chill", teased Josh.

"Yeah, I got all the partying and craziness out of my system and depleted my interest in ever doing that shit ever again. It was kind of a fucked-up learning experience, but a learning experience nonetheless", said John.

Back at the hotel John put away the books and took out his Nokia. He hopped up and down on the balls of his feet as he called the house and waited for someone to pick it up. "Hello?", said Nika.

"Hi Nika, it's Dad. We're in Chicago for the show tomorrow", said John.

"Nice, what's Chicago like?", she asked.

"Windy, big. Josh and I went to a used bookstore and bought lots of stuff", he replied.

"Ohh, that sounds fun! I would buy lots of books if I had a job", she said excitedly.

"I know, I've never seen a kid who reads as much as you do", he teased.

"I like to read, I want to know many things. Grandma and Grandpa took me to the mall and got me all your band's albums", said Nika.

"Really? Did you listen to them?", he asked.

"Some of them, I don't like the older older. They're very noisy and Anthony sings all weird", said Nika.

"Uh, we were much younger and I wasn't in the band yet. Did you like our other albums?", he asked hopefully.

"The new one is nice, the one with the red swimming pool. I liked that Scar Tissue song and Road Trippin;", she replied.

John couldn't help the smile on his face." Thank you so much! I was concerned you wouldn't like our stuff", h e said.

"It's not bad, just not to my taste. It's cool, are you on MTV?", she asked.

"Yeah, we're on MTV. Why don't you watch some?", he suggested.

"Maybe, I don't want to watch a lot of dumb videos", she said dubiously.

An idea suddenly came to him. "I got an idea, Nika. But say Hi to your grandparents for me", he said.

"Okay, Dad. See you soon", she replied.

John put on his jacket and went downstairs to ask the concierge something. Soon he was at a local Blockbuster Video, having rented a VCR and bought a blank VHS tape. "That's a great idea, John!", said Flea when John told him what he wanted to do.

The two men hooked up the VCR to the TV and turned on MTV. Luckily MTV was playing a block of rock videos and they managed to tape several of their videos, followed by their Making the Video for Around the World. "You can show it to Nika, or do you want to mail it?", asked Flea.

"That sounds like a great idea, I'll mail it", agreed John.

Both men went down the street to the post office, clad in baseball caps and sunglasses. John placed the tape in a sturdy box and added the address to the top as the man behind the counter added stamps for next day delivery. "I understand why she didn't like the early stuff, Clara things our early stuff sucks too, kids don't seem to like it much. But at least she'll see what we do live", said Flea.

"I want my daughter to like our music, is that strange?", John asked.

"No, it's only natural. You're still new to this whole dad thing, it'll get more natural as time goes on and you get experience", said Flea.

"Does it get easier?", he asked.

"No, since being a parent is always an adventure. It doesn't get easier, but it does become more natural", said Flea.

"I guess. Do you think I should start dating again, Nika might need a mother figure", said John.

"Be careful, you have to make sure she likes your new girlfriend. If Clara doesn't get along with girls I date, then we break up. I don't want to have my daughter feel she comes in second, she's the main girl in my life now", said Flea.

"I guess you're right. I have to concentrate on my daughter right now", agreed John.


	13. Chapter 13

Nika was curious when she saw the package which came in the mail. She saw that it was from her father but had a postage mark from Chicago. She watched as John Sr. took out a knife and cut open the tape holding the seams of the box closed and opened the flaps. Inside was a VHS tape with John's handwriting. Nika was curious as she turned on the TV and her grandfather programmed the VCR as they sat on the couch to watch. "That's Dad!", she exclaimed when she saw him in the Scar Tissue video.

"Yes, that was the first single off the album. John was so eager to show us the video, he thought the song was going to be huge. It was huge", said Gail proudly.

Nika watched the video, intrigued at the images. The band looked all battered and worn as they drove through the desert in an equally battered car. John wore an old fisherman's hat which covered his curly dark hair and his unshaven face, while the others looked like they got knocked out by Mike Tyson. "Was Dad all right?", she asked in alarm.

"Of course, that's all stage makeup. Trust us, we were there. It was the same location where they did the video for Give It Away", said Gail.

Nika tried not to giggle when she saw the video for Around the World since her father his bandmates were shirtless. They were in an orange room and had light glowing out of their bare torsos as weird lights danced on them. "Dad is skinny", she said.

"He is, but he looks much better now. And that's what the band does, they used to go onstage wearing only socks", said Gail with a laugh.

Nika's blue eyes were wide. "What? Like fig leaves?", she asked in disbelief.

"Sort of, they don't do that anymore", said Gail.

The idea of seeing her kind, shy father onstage with only a sock on his privates make her giggle, then laugh uncontrollably. "Sorry, but that sounds so funny" she sputtered.

"It is, we saw the pictures and were so shocked. But they don't do that anymore", said Gail.

"That's Dr. Cagliari, Pepere likes that film", said Nika when she saw the video for Otherside.

"Oh, John said the same thing. He said that Flea saw the movie on late night TV and suggested they do a video based on it. It's been a big hit", said Gail.

Nika nodded in agreement as she watched the video. The cool gray, black and white photography seemed to fit the dark, brooding song as the tormented young man was chased by malevolent forces before falling down onto the floor surrounded by blood-red flower petals. "This is really interesting, does Dad watch a lot of movies?", she asked.

"Not really, he's more of a reader. Even as a child, he didn't like to watch much TV, even cartoons. He'd rather read, or listen to music and play guitar. I think he only has a TV to look normal, he barely watches it. Even the cats watch more TV", chuckled John Sr.

As if on cue, Gabriel and Bianca scampered atop the couch and looked at the TV with curious eyes. They meowed happily when they recognized their master and purred, their mouths turned up at the corners. "I think they like the music", laughed Gail.

Nika laughed as Bianca snuggled into her lap. At first she was caught off-guard and didn't know what to do when the fluffy Persian sat in her lap, but then Bianca looked at her with big blue eyes and purred softly. "She wants you to rub her back", said Gail.

Nika gently stroked her back as Bianca purred happily and arched her back, her paws spread out lazily. "She liked you, she realizes you're part of the family", said Gail.

"Yeah, John got the cats after he got healthy again. We always had cats in the house when he was growing up, once he got better he decided to get some cats for companionship. Having Gabriel and Bianca has helped him stay healthy, since he needs to take care of them", said John Sr.

Nika wondered what they mean by her father being healthy, if he drank too much or had cancer. She resolved to ask him when he got home as Bianca cuddled in her lap. The next video had her father standing in a mock-up of a desert landscape wearing khaki trousers, a red sweater and a blue and white knit cap as he played a turquoise Fender guitar. "Dad looks so young!", she exclaimed.

"He was only, he was only 21", said Gail.

Nika did some mental math and realized that he was only 30. "Then he was 19 when he became my Dad", she murmured.

"I know, he was a young guy in a successful band having a lot of fun and acting like a rock star. We were proud of his success, but concerned he was going to hurt himself", said John Sr.

"Like what?", she asked.

"Partying too hard, drinking too much, too many girls. But he was a young, immature kid, he didn't know how to handle things", said Gail quietly.

Nika resolved to ask her father when he got home. She wondered if his shy, kindly nature couldn't handle being in a famous rock band. But if that was the case, than why did he rejoin? "I don't want to be famous, I hate crowds and meeting new people. I like peace and quiet", she declared.

"John was the same way, he would spend all day in his room playing guitar, listening to music or reading", said Gail.

Nika mused on this as she watched the TV. She had been shocked to find out she had a father at the meeting with her mother's lawyer, but she knew when she first saw John that he was her father. The resemblance was so alike, even if had hazel eyes instead of her blue ones. And now her grandparents were telling her about him as a kid confirmed it, but she also wondered exactly what happened to him.

The video finished and she rewound the tape before putting it back in the box. "Do you want to order something, when John comes back he's going to cook macrobiotic food", asked John Sr., a pleading tone in his voice.

"Of course, I know you can't stand macrobiotic food. But remember, this is John's house", reminded Gail.

"I like it", said Nika.

"Oh dear, I can't stand it. People weren't mean to live on weird hippie food", muttered John Sr.

"It's better than eating too much meat, and the doctor said you need to lose weight", chided Gail.

John Sr. grumbled but his hazel eyes twinkled with amusement. "When John comes back, I'll eat the damn hippie food. But now, I really want a pizza and not hippie pizza with veggies", joked the older man.


	14. Chapter 14

"Enjoy your week off, and have fun with your daughter", said Flea, clapping John on the back.

"It's strange, on other tours I'd wanted to get home but that was because I was concerned about the cats. Now my parents are there and I'm going to see my daughter again. I really missed her, does that feeling ever go away?", he asked quietly.

"No, every time we go on tour I miss Clara so bad. I felt the same way back when she was a baby, and I still feel the same way. If you stopped feeling that, then you would be a shitty dad. It never goes away", said Flea.

John understood as he nodded. The men bid goodbye to the rest of the group as they got off the plane at LAX and went to their cars in the parking lot. "I hope Josh can buy a new car soon", he said as the younger man got inside his beat-up pickup truck.

"Yeah, that looks like a truck from Hee Haw. Any moment it might just fall apart", said Flea.

"At least his parents are more supportive. I was in the same situation at his age. I hope Nika gets along with my parents, they were so shocked to have a grandchild. They'd about given up hope", said John.

"And they must be thrilled to finally have a grandchild after all these y ears. They're probably spoiling her rotten", teased Flea.

John felt his heart pound in anticipation when Flea dropped him off in front of the house. His parents embraced him and he looked over to see Nika waiting in the doorway, a confused look in her eyes. John went over to his daughter and gave her a hug as Nika leaned stiffly against him with her eyes wide in fear. "Nika, what's the matter?", he asked in surprise.

"I don't like hugs, Mom made me hug an ugly man at the studio", she whispered.

John was both confused and alarmed by her reply. "Nika, I'm sorry if I scared you. I won't hug if you don't want", he said kindly.

Nika nodded silently, her eyes still wide with fright. John made a mental note to ask her grandparents since he knew that Zoe had no other known partners and he was concerned about her reaction. "Okay, do you want to see your present?", he asked.

Nika smiled and her face lit up. John smiled at her and took a bag out of his suitcase. "Josh helped me pick it out, he's a huge bookworm like me", he said.

John watched as Nika took the book out of the bag and saw her eyes lit up. "Ooooh, Oxford Press! Pepere and Uncle Ian say they have the best history books", she exclaimed.

"You're welcome. Josh picked it out, I'm not too familiar with ancient Egypt", said John.

"Are you tired are do you want to order something?", asked Gail.

"I'm not tired, but I feel like going out for dinner. I just ordered room service on the road, mostly salads. I had to explain to Josh that the management pays for room service, he was eating off the Dollar Menu at McDonald's and scrounging for change, he had no idea", said John with a fond chuckle.

"Oh dear, how is he?", asked Gail.

"He's dong really good, him and Bob are doing great with the Bicycle Thief. He looked a bit shy the first couple of gigs but towards the end he was much more energetic on stage. I was the same way when I started touring. He might be coming over sometime in the week to work on some songs", said John.

"He's a good kid, Josh is lucky that he found a couple of good mentors in you and Bob", said John Sr.

"Yeah, since we're all sober. You want me to invite him for dinner, he says his parents are out of town", said John.

"Of course, he's a good kid", said Gail.

John called Josh's parents' house as the younger man picked up the phone. "Okay, Dad will pick you up in the rental. See you in a bit", said John.

"He's coming, Josh was just going to heat up a frozen dinner and watch the Dodgers game on TV", said John.

"He lives with his parents?", asked Nika.

"Yeah, he lives with his parents in the Valley. He can't afford his own place yet, if he makes more money he wants to get his own place and a new car", said John.

An hour later the family was in the rental car headed towards the Valley. The ever-present LA traffic was strong as ever while John Sr. tried not to lose it while traffic inched forward. "Josh is a life-long Angeleno, he'll understand", said John.

They finally arrived at Josh's parents' house in the Valley as Josh waited outside for them. He was dressed as usual in baggy black sweatpants, long black t -shirt and a dark blue beanie atop his longish brown hair. He made sure the front door was locked before he got in the backseat of the car. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Frusciante. Thanks for the invite, I was just going to nuke a frozen dinner and watch the Dodgers", he said.

"I used to be an old-school Dodgers fan, never got a chance to see them at Ebbets Field. Maybe we can catch a game at the stadium, the Mets are on their West Coast road trip and they're playing LA next week", said John Sr.

"Awesome, I'm going to listen to KLAC and see if I can win tickets in the contest. I won tickets last month, but they were nosebleed seats against the Marlins", said Josh, making a face.

"What are the Dodgers?", asked Nika.

Josh tried not to laugh, seeing she was serious. "Uh, they're a baseball team, the other LA team is the Angels. I'm a Dodgers fan, they're my National League team. The New York Yankees are my American League team, since my family is originally from New York. I'm trying to win tickets by listening to KLAC, the radio station which broadcasts Dodgers games", he explained.

"Sports are dumb, they're a waste of time", said Nika dubiously.

"I love watching sports, I love baseball and basketball. I can't play them, though, I'm too skinny", he joked.

"I hated gym class in high school and have never played or watched sports, the other guys are all big Lakers fans. That's the basketball team", said John.

"Yeah, no one roots for the Clippers", said Josh.

"What's wrong with the Clippers?", asked Nika.

"They're the other LA basketball team, they really suck. The Lakers are much better", said Josh.

"When are you coming over?", asked John.

"Maybe tomorrow, Bob might want to rehearse. We're working on some songs too, I got all these ideas bouncing around in my head", said Josh.

"Same here, I'm always coming up with songs and ideas. I might put out a solo album since they're not songs that fit the band's music", said John.

"Cool, like electronic stuff?", asked Josh.

"I've been messing around with different keyboards, I'm learning to play by ear", said John.

"Same here, I'm playing piano by ear. I want to get better, I'm taking a mail order course on how to read music. Makes it easier to compose", said Josh.

Nika listened to their conversation and was intrigued. She knew that her father played guitar but also found out he played keyboards, and wanted to hear his new music. She wondered if her father could read music and if she could teach him. "So Nika, how did you like our videos?", asked John.

"I liked the video for Scar Tissue, but why were you all dirty?", she asked.

"It's the concept, where we're all bloody and battered but we're still standing. It was Anthony's idea, since we went through a rough time but got through. But it's a metaphor, that's the same desert where we filmed Give It Away in the early 90's", John explained.

Nika nodded, knowing this was not the best time to ask. She was relieved when her grandfather parked in the lot of a Japanese restaurant in Hollywood. "Trust me, Hollywood is not as glamorous as people thing. There's a lot of jerks around here", said John.

The group was led to a large booth in the corner and handed menus. The restaurant was done in a minimalist bamboo black and white scheme with soft piano music coming from a solo pianist in the corner, a long bar on the opposite side manned by a black-clad hipster bartender. "I like this place since it has macrobiotic food too, on the road I don't like to go out for dinner so I just ordered salad from room service", said John.

"Thanks for letting me know about the room service, I had no idea", said Josh.

"You're welcome. McDonald's isn't good for you, even when I was younger I never liked fast food. It was murder when I first started touring and we couldn't afford decent restaurants, we'd have to eat fast food since that was all we could afford", said John.

"One day I am going to get used to eating healthy", said Josh ruefully as the waiter set down glasses of cold-pressed juice in front of everyone.

"You have the typical Valley diet, fast food and junk. Your system is stronger than mine", said John with a sad smile.

Nika took a sip of her cold-pressed carrot juice. "My Lacroix grandparents wouldn't drink this, they're British. Grandmere makes a lot of British food and Greek food since Pepere likes it. She would say this was hippie food", she said.

"Hah, I agree. But once in a while won't hurt", laughed John Sr.

"I love British food, my mom is Irish and she makes similar stuff", said Josh.

"Then is your dad German, Klinghoffer is a German name", said Nika.

"Sort of, Dad's family are German Jewish. The family came over in the 1850's and none of them were left when Hitler got crazy", he quipped.

"Ohh, I'm sorry!", she exclaimed.

"That's all right, my Dad's family isn't particularly religious. I haven't even been to a synagogue except one time for a wedding, church too. So I don't come from any sort of religious background", Josh explained.

"It's common here in LA to be like that, be half-Jewish. So it's not freaky at all", said John.

"Or in New York, my parents are from the East Coast", added Josh.

"So Josh, how did you like your first real tour?", asked Gail.

Josh took a sip of his cold-pressed berry juice before replying. "It was a real learning experience, I've played clubs with Bob around here but these were the biggest shows I'd ever played. I was scared at first but I settled down", he said.

"I know, I was the same way. And you thought you had to eat McDonald's", teased John.

Josh blushed guiltily. "I had no idea, but thanks for telling me. I'm only 19 so I got a while to go before I get old and eat hippie food", he joked.

Nika giggled as the adults looked on in surprise. "It's funny", she mumbled.

"Sorry, but you ought to laugh more, your face lights up", said Gail.

"It's okay, I'm not used to being around a lot of people. But I like you guys", she whispered.

John wondered exactly what sort of family the Lacroix were that she seemed so shy and reserved. Her grandparents seemed nice enough but her mother Zoe seemed more and more unlikable from the way his daughter acted. He made a mental note to ask her grandparents one day as he looked at the food menu and drank his vegetable juice.

The group ate their dinner and chatted amiably. Nika ate her grilled salmon and overheard John and Josh talking about recording music while her grandparents chatted about visiting different places in California. She hoped they were not taking her to Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm since the commercials on TV made them look terrifying. The idea of being around screaming kids and thrill rides made her stomach clench in fear as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I don't want to go Disneyland", she whispered.

"Oh, okay. Where do you want to go?", asked Gail.

"Museums, I love museums. Especially art ones, I saw the Tate and the V&A museums in London when we visited our British relatives", said Nika.

"Wow, that's exactly what I want to do when I go to London. Especially the Tate Modern, I love modern art", said Josh eagerly.

"We could go to LACMA, that's the best art museum in the city. We could go on Friday nights. Or the Getty Center, they have great concerts on Saturdays", said John.

"I prefer LACMA, I like more modern art. But the Getty has older stuff, what do you prefer?", Josh asked Nika.

"The Getty sounds better, modern art is ugly", said Nika.

"Well, it's an acquired taste. My favorite art movements are the Impressionists and Abstract Expressionism, my own paintings are more towards Abstract. I don't have the patience to be so detailed", said Josh with a laugh.

"Same here with my art, but I haven't painted anything in years. I might try again", John mused aloud.

"Then I want to go to the Getty", I like older art", she declared.

John beamed, glad to see his daughter happy with enthusiasm. "Then we'll go", he announced.


	15. Chapter 15

"Tomorrow we go to the Getty Museum, but today I'm going to Bob's place to help him with Bicycle Thief. He sent me this tape of a song they're working on and it sounds amazing", said John as they waited for Josh to pick them up".

"Okay, is it going to be noisy?", asked Nika.

"Yeah, but I can give you headphones. Bob wants to meet you, his son is a little older than you. He helped me regain my health, I owe my life to that man. He was as messed up as I was and for a longer period of time. But we made it", said John with a proud little smile.

Nika clutched tightly onto her book and resolved to thank Bob for his help. She gasped in horror when she saw the battered old truck approach, so rusted and battered it looked as though it escaped from a junkyard. "Josh is going to boy a new car when he makes more money", he explained.

The ancient pickup stopped by the house as John helped Nika get inside. "You cleaned it, it's no longer a hazmat zone", he teased.

"Hah, because I know your daughter was coming. And I even took it to the car wash, I paid for in quarters and loose change", said Josh with a laugh.

Nika immediately felt guilty for thinking the truck was ugly. "How old is your truck?", she asked.

"I had it for two years, but it's from 1985. I got it from an ad in the newspaper. When I get a bigger royalty check, I'm getting a new car. I really want a Volvo", said Josh.

"They're Swedish, do you like Swedish stuff?", she asked.

"Sort of, I think Volvo's are cool cars. I want something that not everyone else has", he replied.

Josh drove westwards on I-10 towards the suburbs of Orange County as the truck's air conditioner wheezed and gave off a thin blast of cool air. "At least the air conditioner doesn't smell, it does that sometimes", said Josh.

Josh parked in the lot of an old warehouse that held a recording studio out in the Valley, in an industrial park in Orange County. "Trust me, it's a rehearsal studio", said John reassuringly when he saw the look on her face.

Nika held tightly onto her father's hand as she looked around warily. A thin middle-aged man with dyed cherry-red hair and a brown hat stood by the doorway smoking a cigarette. He looked up when he saw them and a grin broke out on his face dominated by round tortoise-shell rimmed glasses. "Hey, glad you made it. John, is this your daughter?", he asked kindly. 

"Yeah, Bob. Nika, this is my friend Bob Forrest. Bob, this is my daughter Nika", he said.

"Glad to meet you, Nika. I was surprised to find out Fru had a daughter, I had no idea he ever had a child. I felt the same way when I found out about my son", said Bob.

Nika dropped down into a curtsy. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Forrest. Thank you for helping my father", she replied solemnly.

"Wow, you're welcome. Fru, she has excellent manners. And she looks just like you, she has your curls", said Bob.

"I know, that's how I knew she was my daughter", said John proudly.

Bob finished his cigarette and led them inside. A short corridor led into a cavernous room that was gray and concrete, windows high above on the second level letting a thin stream of light. Leaning against a stack of milk crates was an amplifier and behind that was a drum kit and a keyboard, the only other décor some old folding chairs. The whole room resembled something out of an action thriller were the bad guys held hostages as Nika clung to her father.

"Relax, it's perfectly safe. It's just the cheapest place we could find", Bob explained.

Nika sat down on one of the folding chairs and began to read. She watched out of the corner of her eyes as Bob and her father took out their guitars and tuned them while Josh took out a pair of drumsticks from his guitar case and sat behind the kit. She read a few pages before she was distracted by a drumbeat and guitar chords as she set the book aside to watch. She had never seen music performed live before and watched as John played a brown Fender guitar and Bob played an acoustic guitar while Josh hit a steady drumbeat.

Nika was fascinated as she watched her father play. His long dark hair flew around his face as he bobbed his head and his lips parted, his eyes slightly shut. His long fingers picked the strings and then flew up and down the fretboard as she watched with curiosity. She then turned to face Josh and watched a his skinny pale arms pounded the drums. His long brown hair peeked out from under his black beanie and his pale skinny arms were graceful as birds' wings as he used the drumsticks to manipulate the sound of the drums.

"Did you like that, Nika?", asked John.

"Yes, very much. I've never seen music performed live before," she replied.

"Wow, live music is awesome. I've seen so many shows, my first concert was New Kids on the Block in fourth grade, Young MC opened. I was your age, actually, I saw them at Long Beach Arena", said Josh.

"Those guys sucked so bad, but you were a kid, so I forgive you", teased Bob as Josh blushed.

"My first concert was Black Flag at some VFW Hall in the Valley", said John.

"Your first concert was a lot cooler than mine. I did see Pearl Jam at the Forum in '93 and you guys on the One Hot Minute tour. But I normally don't go to big concerts, I prefer going to little places", said Josh.

The group played some more as Josh moved over to the keyboards. He played a few chords on the keyboards to warm up and then the actual song as his long pale fingers flew over the keys. Nika had stopped reading by now and just watched them perform, especially her father. He was normally so laid back and easygoing but playing guitar he was a demon, his curly dark hair flying about his shoulders and his mouth open. She wished she could play with such abandon but knew she couldn't, it wasn't in her nature.

"Now we're going to the studio, I want to get the song done", said Bob.

The studio was just down the street but they still had to pack up their equipment in Josh's truck. "My studio isn't big enough, mine can only fit two people", John explained.

"Yeah, and it isn't cool as yours", Josh laughed.

This studio had none of the hominess of John's home studio, but instead had the charm and warmth of a dentist's office. The interior of the studio was a blinding white not softened by the use of harsh fluorescent bulbs, the sterile interior smelling of bleach. "Next time, we'll try to use your studio", said Bob in distaste.

Nika was surprised when Josh joined John in the control booth. "I'm learning to be a producer, I want to produce so we don't have to use outsiders and pay extra", he explained.

"I thought you just push buttons to record", said Nika.

John laughed. "Producing can be as simple or complicated as you want, with my solo records I use a more old-fashioned style on analog", he explained.

Nika watched as the men set up the tape to record while Bob went to smoke a cigarette. "Mr. Forrest, how did you get to know Dad?", she asked.

Bob chuckled as he took another drag. "I'm friends with Anthony going back to the 80's, our bands played together a lot. I remember when your dad auditioned for my band, then Anthony poached him for his band. But there's not hard feelings, my band was a mess. I helped him out, I had problems too and I knew how John would want to get better. We needed to get the perfect place for him, or else he would have been a goner. As you can see, your dad is in great shape", he said.

Nika wondered exactly how bad her father's health had been. He seemed healthy enough now but he always wore long-sleeved shirts and smoked cigarettes, wondering if he had some sort of cancer. "Your dad was really messed up, I've been there. He'll tell you in time, it's not something easy to talk about", said Bob.

She went back to the control room when Josh and John finished setting up the tape. John joined Bob as her father gave the younger man a signal. Josh pressed Record as the two guitarists played, bobbing his head in time with the music with headphones perched on his ears. Nika tried not to laugh since the overgrown headphones on his skinny head around his beanie made him look like Mickey Mouse. She bit her lip to keep from laughing and planted a hand on her mouth to keep from giggling.

"That's it, you want to hear the playback?", asked Josh via the studio microphone as the men nodded. The music played from stereo as Bob and John bobbed their heads and grinned.

"That was great! If you want, you'll get producer credit", said John.

Josh blushed. "I don't know, I didn't add much", he mumbled.

"You don't have to add a lot of stuff to be a producer, you have to know when to add and when to subtract", said John.

"That makes sense, but I want to make sure I what I was doing is worthy of a producer credit. Hitting record doesn't seem like much of a producing job", Josh argued.

"All right, but I'll show you how to properly produce something so you get credit. If one produces their own record, you can make it sound however you want", said John.

Nika realized that the desk with all the buttons was larger than the one at John's studio. "This is a professional recording studio, mine is a home studio", he explained.

"Yeah, because I don't trust other producers with my stuff. We use a producer for the band's music, but I produce my solo material", John replied.

"And John is a great producer, I was awful at it", said Bob.

"Producing is one thing, some people are just good at it and others aren't. Anyways, do you think the song sounded good, Bob?", asked John.

"Yeah, I don't want it to sound perfect. Perfection sucks the life out of music. Anyways, I have to bring my son lunch and I have my NA meeting later", said Bob.

Everyone got into Josh's truck and headed towards a 7-11 where Bob bought a sandwich and a bottle of juice. After that it was a short drive to a school where Bob got out and was let in by a security guard. Nika looked at the school in distaste. It was a modernistic glass and steel structure which had sea-green panels on the exterior which reminded her of a Piet Mondrian artwork. "I know, it's ugly. My high school looks like this, except the panels were red", said Josh.

"I was homeschooled", she said.

"I wish I was homeschooled, I don't like being around a lot of people and the other kids would pick on me for being skinny and having a big nose, plus I didn't play sports and sucked at gym class", said Josh.

"Is that why you read a lot?", she asked.

"Yeah, school was boring and pointless. I knew much of the stuff already so sitting down in class with a bunch of jerks listening to the teacher drone on about stuff I knew was a complete waste of time", said Josh.

"Then I don't want to go to school", she declared.

"Josh, you're corrupting my daughter. But seriously, you need to go to school. You have to learn to be around kids", said John.

"I hate kids! The girls beat me up!", she yelled.

Both men were taken aback at her outburst. "Wow, that sucks. But I'm away on tour or recording and I'm not a qualified teacher. The law says you have to go to school", said John.

"No! I can read lots of books, the kids are going to beat me up", she whispered.

"I'll ask Flea and Chad about schools, but you have to go. I'm sorry", said John softly.

"Mom said I don't have to go to school, she says I have a high IQ and schools are for lazy, dumb kids", she said triumphantly.

"I need to talk with the guys. And Nika, you are a very smart girl but you can't call other people stupid. You need to learn social skills", said John.

"No, because kids suck. I like adults", she said smugly.

"If you don't stop talking like this, I'm going to punish you", said John quietly, but his hazel eyes turned dark brown with an underlying anger.

"No! Don't be mean, I'll shut up!", she wailed.

John was alarmed and this made him determined to find out about her mother and how she was raised. "Calm down, Nika. I don't want to scare you, but you shouldn't be scared of me. I just want you to be considerate of other people and be kind", said John.

"What happened?", asked Bob when he got back to the truck.

"Nika freaked out when I told her she had to go to school", John replied.

"I know, school sucks. I hated school too, but I went with the flow and shut up until graduation. Elijah hates school too, but he goes and gets good grades", said Bob.

Nika was still angry and hurt at the idea of going to school. She hoped that her father didn't send her to a school for mean kids like the sort her mother had threatened her with. Nika then vowed to herself that she would show her father and his friends exactly how smart she was so she didn't have to go to school.

"Your parents are still away?", asked John after they dropped off Bob.

"Yeah, they're gong to be away until Saturday. They trust me with the house, I have no interest in throwing a massive party like in Can't Hardly Wait", laughed Josh.

"What's that?", asked John.

"It's a teen comedy about a house party, some teens throw party and trash the place. It's a dumb movie, but Jennifer Love Hewitt is hot in that film", said Josh with a nervous giggle.

"Who? I don't watch mainstream movies", said John.

"She's on that show Party of Five, she's one of the sisters. Her and Neve Campbell are hot, the show is cheesy and melodramatic but those two make it worth watching", said Josh.

"Hah, I suppose we all need some junk food in our diets", said John.

"And besides, I got a date tonight", said Josh as his cheeks turned bright red.

"Awesome, who's the lucky girl?", teased John.

"Her name is Ashley, we met at a Bicycle Thief show in Pasadena. Her friend was in another band performing that night, we started talking and I got her number and asked her out", said Josh.

"Awesome, congratulations. Hope you have a good time", said John

"Yeah, I have to go home and get ready. I haven't been on a date in months", said Josh.

"I haven't been on a date in five years, since I broke up with my old girlfriend", said John.

"Yeah, I've never had a real girlfriend. I just hope she doesn't freak out over the truck", said Josh.

"It's all right, she probably knows you don't have a lot of money. Girls love musicians, that's why I joined a band", joked John.

"Yeah, but you're better-looking than me. Bicycle Thief tends to attract a lot of hipster, arty types, hardly any girls. Then again, I'm not interesting in just hooking up", said Josh.

"You're mature than I was at your age", said John.

"Thanks, John", said Josh.


	16. Chapter 16

"I love art, it's my favorite class at school. I'm going to be an artist or a photographer when I grow up", said Clara as they waited to get in the car.

"Me too, but i can't draw or paint. I do like looking at art, Pepere has a lot of books on Medieval art plus Byzantine art because he's a professor of Byzantine Studies", said Nika.

"I think I've heard of it, it was Greek? Our social studies book had a paragraph on it", said Clara.

Nika normally would have thought the red-haired girl was stupid, but she was nice so she said nothing. "Sort of, it was the Eastern Roman Empire, the Empire split in half in 395 AD. The Byzantine Empire fell in 1453 after it was attacked by the Ottoman Turks", she explained.

"Oh, I didn't know that", said Clara in awe.

"Wow, me neither. Then again, I just graduated high school", laughed Flea.

"Same here", agreed John Sr.

"We'll meet you at the Getty, you go and pick up Josh said", said Flea as her, John Sr. Nika, and John got in the rental car. 

"Yeah, since his house is more our of the way", said John.

"I hope Josh isn't tired from his date", laughed John as they got in the SUV.

"Nah, he's not that type. But he's a lot shier around girls than any of us. But it's good he went on a date, he's so shy", said John.

"Why would he be tired after going on a date?", asked Nika.

The men blushed. "Uh, maybe they were out all night having fun", said John.

"What kind of fun? There's nothing interesting after the news at 11", said Nika.

"Maybe they went to an all-night show, or out dancing", said Gail as she nodded in understanding.

Josh was waiting outside his parents' house, a grin seemingly stuck to his face like a Joker mask. Like always, he wore baggy black sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt with a beanie over his floppy brown hair, his t-shirt depicting the cover of Rubber Soul by the Beatles. "My Grandmere likes the Beatles", said Nika.

"Awesome, tell your grandma she has awesome taste. My parents love the Beatles, I like them too", said Josh as he got in the backseat with Nika.

"My great aunts Olivia and Tessa think rock music is noisy, they love jazz. Olivia likes West Coast jazz and Tessa loves Coltrane and Ornette Coleman", said Nika.

"Wow, she's got awesome taste. I love Coltrane but Coleman is better, Flea turned me on to them", said Josh enthusiastically.

"And you listen to that as much as Radiohead, it must drive your parents nuts", laughed John as they all chuckled.

"It's a matter of taste, jazz isn't very popular with many people. But when you get older, you'll like it", said Josh.

The group drove towards the Getty Museum. "I think you would like the Getty Villa, it has a lot of Greek and Roman art", said John.

Nika's eyes went wide as saucers and a grin formed on her lips. "Ohh!", she squealed.

"I know, I thought you would like it", laughed John.

The group arrived at the Getty Villa museum where Flea and Clara waited. Nika was impatient as they waited in line to buy tickets, seeing the museum in front of her which resembled a Roman villa. John and Flea bought the tickets as Nika opened up the museum map. "This is the way to the Greek section", she declared.

The grownups looked on with bemusement as she led them straight to the Greek section. Her eyes were wide in delight and had turned an intense purple with delight when she saw the art on display, nearly dizzy with awe. "Calm down, Nika", said John kindly.

"Wow, this is an actual Minoan fresco from Knossos, it might be palace of Minos. That's bull-leaping, it might have been part of a religious ritual", she said.

The adults were silent in awe as Nika pointed out the different types of art and explained what they were and what they represented. She was in her element as she as they stopped in front of the statues and told them what particular god or goddess it was, or the mythological scenes on the black and orange vases. Other people stopped and starred as they listened to the little girl who seemed to know more about Greek art than a college professor.

"And this is Achilles dragging Hector behind his chariot, it was revenge of Hector slaying Patrocles. Patrocles was Achilles' boyfriend", she explained about a black vase with orange figures.

"Ah, wow. I knew that Achilles fought in the Trojan war, but I didn't know he had a boyfriend", said John.

"The ancient Greeks were tolerant of homosexuality", she explained.

Her grandparents exchanged a look. "Uh, that's not appropriate for kids", said Gail.

"But it's the truth, the ancient Greeks were tolerant of homosexuality. In fact, Alexander the Great was closer to his boyfriend Hephaestion than to his three wives. Anyways, this is a kouros, a male statue from the Archaic period", she said, gesturing towards a weirdly-modernistic statue of a nude boy.

John was speechless as he led her talk. While he knew she was smart, this was far above what he thought was appropriate for a girl her age. He glanced over and saw that his parents and Flea were just as astonished. Only Josh seemed tranquil, his brown eyes thoughtful. "I was the same way your age, Nika. Except my thing was music and reciting baseball statistics. Mom and Dad loved to hear me play and show off to my relatives", he said.

"Cool, Mom liked to do that too, she had me go on TV at the Palm Springs TV station and answer questions, but the host was creepy", said Nika.

John felt an odd sinking sensation in his stomach, followed by a sudden burst of anger. The idea of his daughter performing on a TV show like a trained seal made him physically ill, especially if the host was a creepy old man. "Nika, you are not performing on TV again, you're a kid", he growled.

"Mom said I had to, she wanted people to see how smart I am. I didn't like it either", said Nika with a shrug.

"Ugh, that sounds like low-rent Star Search", said Josh in distaste.

"Oh dear, that won't happen again", said Gail as John Sr. nodded in agreement.

John was still troubled as Nika led him towards more exhibits of Greek art. The initial euphoria of seeing his daughter's intelligence gave way to a feeling o f dread and unease as she gave a detailed run-down of the statues and vases. Her earnest tone reminded him a museum tour guide or a PBS broadcaster, so striking in an otherwise healthy little girl. The idea of Nika seeing a therapist and going to a private school sounded more urgent. While he had little experience with children, he did know that a young girl shouldn't be so eager to show off or have such knowledge, that no child should have such an extensive knowledge of ancient Greece. He knew he had to ask her grandparents about how Zoe had raised her and about that TV show as he followed her to the next room.


	17. Chapter 17

"Nika, you shouldn't show off like that", John chided.

"Why not? Don't people like to see that? Mom always had me do that", said Nika.

John frowned. "That was rude, nobody likes conceited people, especially children. And your Mom was being conceited too, children shouldn't show off", he said.

"Really? She used to take me to the studio and have me speak Greek and Latin. The TV people liked it", she said.

John had an uneasy sensation go through the pit of his stomach. "I'll need to ask your grandparents, but I don't like that. I don't like children performing", he said.

Nika was confused. While she disliked going to the studio, she'd thought people liked seeing children perform. "Okay, when is Josh coming over?", she asked.

John raised an eyebrow. "Uh, he's coming over in an hour. Now you go and apologize to Grandpa and Grandma", he said. 

"Why, all that stuff is true", she replied.

"Children aren't supposed to know that stuff, or talk about it in public. It embarrassed them", he explained.

"But why? It's the truth, and I know it's true. What's your IQ, mine is 135", she said triumphantly.

"See, it's not good to boast. I don't know, but I suppose it's a bit above average. Please apologize to your grandparents", he said.

Nika sighed and went upstairs to the guestroom. She was confused at why she had to apologize since her mother had her go on their local TV station and show off and everyone seemed to like it. Her grandparents were in the guestroom as she walked inside on shaky legs. "Grandma, Grandpa, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you yesterday at the museum", she said softly after dropping into a deep curtsy.

"We weren't embarrassed, just startled. Children normally don't know stuff like that", said Gail kindly.

"But Mom used to take me to the TV station in Palm Springs so I could show people stuff. They liked it", she said, looking confused.

"Oh dear, I suppose that's different", said Gail with a frown.

"Really, that's weird. Nika, we know you're a really smart kid, but you can't be showing off like that", said John Sr.

"But Mom liked it when I showed off, she said it was a good thing I was smart. She said the other kids were stupid", said Nika.

The older couple exchanged a look. "Nika, it's not nice to call people stupid", said Gail.

"But what if they were?", she asked.

"It's still not nice. You have to learn how to get along with others", said Gail.

"No I don't, people annoy me", she said matter-of-factly.

"Nika, this isn't a healthy attitude. And do we annoy you?", asked John Sr.

"Not really, you're nice. Dad too, and Josh and Flea and Clara. But the girls in my old neighborhood beat me up", said Nika.

"That's terrible. But not everyone is out to hurt you, people are nice if you give them a chance", said Gail.

"No thanks, I prefer books. It's nothing personal", said Nika softly.

The front door and Nika was relieved to see Josh. "Hey Nika, how's your grandparents?", he asked kindly. He took off his black beanie and his long brown hair stood up from static electricity, then quickly flopped down around his face.

"Hi, Josh. Did I embarrass you guys yesterday?", she asked.

"Sort of, kids normally don't know stuff like that. Then again, I knew weird stuff when I was a kid too, like how male seahorses have babies or that a platypus lays eggs", said Josh.

"Really? That's cool, I'm not familiar with animals", she said.

"Except for cats, I suppose. But not all stuff you know is appropriate. There was a kid I knew in first grade who told the class during show and tell about how babies were made, the teacher was so embarrassed and everyone made fun of him", said Josh.

"That's disgusting! I'm never going to let a boy do that to me", she vowed.

Josh let out a nervous giggle as he turned pink. "Uh, okay. I felt the same way at your age", he mumbled.

"Have you done that with a girl?", she asked.

Josh could only stutter as he turned the color of pickled beets. "Uh, uh, not yet", he stammered.

Before Nika could ask any more questions, John came downstairs. He saw the younger man's red face and frowned. "Dad, Josh hasn't done it with a girl", she said earnestly. Josh actually turned a darker shade of red verging on purple as John put an arm around his friend. "Nika, that's not a good question to ask someone", he chided.

Josh gradually turned a more normal color. "Uh, okay. But this state won't last forever, I haven't found anyone I'd like to be with it", he said.

"I know, you've done that since I'm here, Dad. But it's gross", said Nika.

John just shook his head and sighed. "Nika, this is a very strange conversation to have. Grandma and Grandpa want to take you out", he said.

"As long as it's not Disneyland", she said.

"No, they want to go to Venice Beach. You'll like it, there's a lot art galleries and street musicians", said John.

"Really? That sounds cool", said Nika.

"It is, I played some busking gigs there after I left school. There's a lot of great people in Venice", said Josh.

"Ok, Dad. I'll behave for Grandma and Grandpa", said Nika.

"Nika, we're not going to punish you if you make mistakes. Have fun, but you also have to learn how to interact with people. Being conceited isn't going to make you any friends", said John.

"But aren't you proud of your guitar playing?", she asked.

"Yes, but Mom and Dad taught me not to brag. When I got a big ego as a young guy, bad things happened", said John.

Nika really wanted to know what happened to but decided not to ask. "Okay, but Mom was very proud", she replied.

"Some pride is good, but not too much", John warned, a sad, knowing look in his hazel eyes.

John made sure Nika got in the car with his parents before Mildred started preparing tea. "So Josh, did she really ask you that?", he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Josh blushed. "Uh, yeah. Nothing happened after my date with Ashley, I just dropped her off at her place. We are going on another date Friday, but we do go back on tour Monday", he said.

"Hey, that's cool. Don't rush it, when I joined the band at 18 I was so eager to lose my virginity because Anthony kept teasing me. I don't even remember it, I was drunk", said John.

"Wow, trust me, it won't be like that. I want to lucid when that happens, but I want to be ready", said Josh thoughtfully.


	18. Chapter 18

At first Nika was frightened of the big crowds surrounding them at Venice Beach, but curiosity got the better of her when she saw the street artists and public art on display. The Pacific Ocean waves pounded the surf as sea breezes wafted over the boardwalk and the tangy scent of salt lingered in the air. "Can we see the art gallery, please?", she asked her grandparents.

"Of course, Nika. That looks very nice", said Gail.

Nika smiled shyly at her grandmother as they led her inside one of the galleries on Venice Pier. Inside showcased paintings and sculpture by local artists as soft classical music played in the background and discreet docents in black stood around. "This looks like a Van Gogh, see the swirls? And this one is like a Gauguin?", she said.

One of the docents raised an eyebrow. "Yes, they do resemble Gauguin and Van Gogh. You know your artists, you lady", they said.

Nika gave the black-clad hipster lady a side-eye. "Thank you, madam", she said politely.

"Yes, this is a view of the Pacific at night. And this is a depiction of how the local Native American tribe lived", said the lady.

"Interesting, it's pretty", said Nika.

"Oh yes, the artists have several pieces here", said the lady.

"Should we buy a piece for John's house? Or do you think he would prefer his own art?", asked John Sr. as Gail bought a painting and arranged for it to be sent to their house in Queens.

"Dad's taste in art is weird. He likes garbage like Duchamp and that stuff which looks like blobs", said Nika in distaste.

"It is ugly and weird, but it is his taste. At least it isn't that scary stuff he was painting", said Gail.

Nika wondered how scary his art was since the weird modern art he collected was already ugly. "Let's get some lunch, I really don't like macrobiotic food", said John Sr. with a chuckle.

"I like Dad's food, it's healthy", said Nika.

"It's bland and tasteless, food isn't supposed to be that way. But because he had all those health issues, he can't eat normally", said John Sr.

For the umpteenth time Nika wondered exactly how sick her father was. She wanted to know if he had cancer or some other illness but didn't want to look rude, especially since that time at the museum. "Okay, but macrobiotic food is good for you", she reminded her grandfather. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon looking through the various art galleries and watching the street performers. John Sr. and Gail were glad to see the smiles on their granddaughter's face, how her lovely purplish-blue eyes would widen in delight. In those moments, she looked more like a normal girl instead of the child prodigy she acted like just yesterday. 

It was with reluctance that the older couple led Nika towards the car that afternoon. "I'd like to see the sunset, but traffic in LA is horrible", Gail explained.

Nika understood as she got in the backseat of the rental car. She wondered if her father and Josh had finished recording and if the album was done. She was curious how an album was recorded at his studio since the recording session at the other studio didn't seem very impressive. Luckily they had headed back just before LA rush hour started and they dodged the worst of the traffic on the way back to the Hollywood Hills. The sky was still bright and the sun had not yet set when they arrived back at John's house. "Hi Mom and Dad. Josh just left, he has a date tonight", said John as Gabriel and Bianca tried to climb all over Nika.

"How nice, Josh is such a nice boy. I hope he finds himself a girlfriend", said Gail.

"Yeah, it's his second date with this girl, Ashley. He met her at a gig, he seems really taken with her. I hope he finds himself a girlfriend, he's still young", said John.

"Why? People can be annoying, and all couples do is kiss", said Nika, making a face.

At this statement, the adults cracked up. "Uh, people do more than that on dates. They go out and see the movies and go dancing, and if they really like each other, they'll get married", said Gail.

John Sr. bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Yeah, that can happen", he mumbled.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Frusciante. I'm making vegan stir fry", said Mildred.

The older couple exchanged a look. "Uh, okay. Thank you", said John Sr.

"I love Mildred's vegan stir fry, it's really good", said Nika happily.

The older couple sighed. "Okay", said John Sr.

"We went to Venice Beach and saw some art galleries. Grandma and Grandpa saw a painting and bought it for their house", said Nika.

"Cool, Venice Beach has a lot of art galleries. I used to hang out there back in high school", said John wistfully.

"Yeah, and we'd have to go and pick you up", chided Gail.

Nika excused herself to go to her room. With every passing day, the details of John's past seemed to make more sense but also become more murky. She knew that he had been sick and had to go on a macrobiotic diet, but she was still confused about the exact nature of his sickness. She decided to wait until he was comfortable telling her, since he was leaving to go on tour again in a few days.

Nika felt odd, thinking that she was going to miss him and Josh. She had never missed her mother even after she died but now she knew she was going to miss her father much more. She was even going to miss Josh, since he was very nice to her and had picked out the book on Egypt for her. Maybe she thought about calling her other grandparents in Palm Springs.

She looked through her bookshelf and scanned the spines of the books. Her books had all come in from Palm Springs and she had arranged them while her father was on tour. She took out her favorite book on ancient Greece and flopped down on the bed to read.

Within a few minutes she was transported to Athens under Pericles, imagining herself as a man on the council debating items about running the city. Nika wondered what it would be like to live in Athens, and if she could change her gender to be a man since women didn't seem to do anything interesting. Nika wondered why her mother had gotten with her father, since her mother had never shown interest in dating.

With reluctance, she closed the book and went downstairs for dinner. Her grandparents had polite smiles on their faces as they waited to be served, but it was clear they were not eager to eat macrobiotic food. "Hi Nika. Did you like Venice Beach?", asked John.

"Yes, I liked the art galleries. Some of the art was pretty", she replied.

"She impressed the lady by saying the paintings resembled Van Gogh and Gauguin", said Gail.

"That's great, do you like Impressionist art?", asked John,

"Yes, especially Monet and Renoir. I prefer landscapes", said Nika.

"Awesome, maybe one day I'll take you to LACMA, they have a lot of modern art", said John.

"Good, as long as it's not the blobby stuff", said John Sr. as everyone laughed.


	19. Chapter 19

Nika wasn't sure what this feeling was as she got in the rental car to pick up Josh and drive and her father to the airport. On the one hand, she knew this was her father's job and he was going to the East Coast of the country to play shows. On the other hand, she was going to miss him since he was kind to her and brought her to the museum. "Josh can't afford the long-term parking, plus his truck is so old", Gail explained.

"After the tour, he should make enough to buy a new car. His truck needs to be towed to the junkyard", said John.

"I know, he deserves it. He's a brilliant kid", said John Sr.

"We're going to Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Then we got three weeks off before we play some festival dates in the UK and Europe. Is there anything you would like me to bring back?", asked John.

"Maybe some pictures of museums, I would like to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian", said Nika shyly.

"Sure, I'll take plenty of pictures. Next time we do a show in LA, you can watch it from backstage", said John.

Josh was outside waiting for them with the suitcase at his feet, an eager grin on his face. "You're not old enough to be jaded by touring", John laughed.

"I know, I'm still at the stage where I love touring and seeing places. When I've been around the world a few times, then I'll hate touring", said Josh with a laugh.

"Have you been the world, Dad?", she asked.

"Yeah, at first I thought it was exciting but I got bored of it since it was a lot of rushing around. Now since we got a more laid back schedule, touring is much better", said John.

"Yeah, and after this tour I'm going finally get a new car. But I'm going to miss the old boy", said Josh with a sigh.

"Yeah, but don't keep dumping cigarettes and soda cans inside", said John Sr.

"I won't, Mr. Frusciante. Maybe I can get a car with an ashtray", said Josh.

"Yeah, of course it would be great if we never started, but that's in the past", said John with a shrug.

They arrived at LAX and John and Josh joined Bob outside to smoke cigarettes. "One day, I'm going to smoke nice ones", laughed Josh as he lit up a Camel right from the pack with a cheap disposable lighter.

"One day, after you get the new car. You can get a really good cigarette case with a Zippo lighter", said Bob as he took a drag off his Marlboro.

John nodded as he lit up his Dunhill, the silver of his cigarette case shining in the morning light. "Yeah, I got tired of my cigarettes getting crushed. When you get the car, then I'll take you to buy a cigarette case", he said.

The trio continued smoking quietly for a few minutes. John took a drag off his cigarette and mused that this was the one vice he still allowed himself, how him and Bob had done so much crazy stuff and now just smoked cigarettes like old men. He watched as Josh took a drag and exhaled, the younger man having smoked down to the very end of the filter. "Josh, you shouldn't smoke it down to the end", he chided.

"I want to get the last bit of the tobacco out of the cigarette. I need to make mine last", he said.

"When you start making better money, you won't need to smoke down to the filter", said Bob.

The three men finished smoking and deposited the spent butts into a plastic outdoor ashtray. "When are you going to stop pounding coffin nails?", teased Flea.

"It's my one vice, after all the shit I've done, cigarettes won't kill me", said John with a shrug.

"When we come back from this tour, you'll have to try and see about finding a school for Nika", said Flea.

"Thing is, she doesn't think she needs to go to school. She is a brilliant girl, but lacks social skills. I mentioned school and she had a meltdown", said John.

"Yeah, that was crazy. I'm a high school dropout myself, but kids at least need to go to elementary school", said Josh.

"School is bullshit, but kids at least need to go to elementary school. High school should be optional", said Bob.

"Clara's school is really good, she goes to Sacred Heart Immaculate. It's a Catholic school, but they take girls from all religions as long as they do well and the parents can pay the tuition. I could call and set up an appointment", Flea suggested.

"Ok, since I have no idea how to enroll kids in a school. But I want to make sure she actually wants to be there, she was homeschooled and doesn't know how to be around kids", said John.

"Sure, I took a tour with Clara when she was ready to go to school. We never did that when we were kids", said Flea with a laugh.

"Yeah, we all went to crappy public schools. Hell, I was able to go to UCLA and I went to a public high school", said Anthony.

John mulled over this as he boarded the plane. Even though Nika might have a meltdown again, she needed to go to school since he was often touring and not qualified to be a homeschool teacher. John thought with a rueful chuckle that this was a situation he had never thought about before, and wondered if his parents had ever considered this. He hoped that the school was good enough for his daughter and that she wouldn't have a meltdown.

"No, I won't go. I don't need school. Mom said school was for dumb kids who have dumb parents. My mom was a genius, I'm smart, I don't need school", said Nika matter-of-factly that night over the phone.

"Nika, I know you're smart. But you need to go to school and be around other children. I can't homeschool you", said John.

"I can read lots of books, and you're rich. You can bribe the school authorities", said Nika.

"What? Absolutely not, that's wrong. I don't want the state coming after me for that, this is a fee-paying girls school. We'll take a tour and see if you like it", said John.

"No, I can read all the books in the house. I hate stupid people, I'm probably smarter than the teachers", she boasted.

"Nika, don't boast. If you don't stop boasting, I'm going to make you watch cartoons and force feed you candy", he warned.

"No! I'll behave!", she cried.

"Nika, I'm not going to hurt you. But you need to go to school and stop boasting. What is hubris?", he asked.

"Pride of the gods", she replied.

"Exactly. Hubris isn't nice in an adult, and it's worse in a child. When I get home, we are going to make an appointment to tour this school. But you must go to school, otherwise I go to jail. This is a private school, Clara goes there", he said.

"Okay, then. But this school better have smart kids", she said dubiously.

"Just try to be nice to the other girls. You can't be arrogant towards everyone, you have to learn social skills. And if you like the school, maybe we can go visit your grandparents in Palm Springs", he said.

"Ohh, yes! I would like to see Pepere and Grandmere", she exclaimed.

"Okay, but we have to see the school first. I'll talk to you later", said John.

"Okay, Dad", she said.

"That is the most messed up sort of punishment I've ever heard", said Josh as he law sprawled out on his bed flipping through the channels on the TV.

"It's because she's a weird kid. She doesn't watch cartoons or eat candy. But she does have to go to school, I don't want to go to jail with my background", he chuckled weakly.

"You won't, but she does need to learn social skills. Even an ugly, introverted nerd like me has social skills", joked the younger man.

"Same here, but I'm still concerned. I know kids hate school but they'll still go, they don't start to hate school until they're much older. I really need to speak with her grandparents, I am starting to dislike her mother and that isn't very Buddhist of me", said John sardonically.

"You know what I'm thinking, John? Your daughter might have Asperger's Syndrome, it's a type of autism. I read a book on autism I bought a flea market, the signs point to it. You can borrow it if you want", said Josh.

John was thunderstruck. He didn't know anyone with autism and what he'd seen about autism were the spastic kids who didn't talk or attacked people, on shows like Dateline. But he wanted to read up on it and perhaps get her to see a therapist. "Josh, I don't know if I should hit you or hug you. But it makes sense, she doesn't act like a normal child. But I thought autistic kids were the spastics who don't talk", said John.

"That's the most severe cases, she could have a milder version. But you won't know for sure until she gets tested", said Josh.

"That would explain a lot of things. But I'm concerned, does that mean she can't go to school?", asked John.

"She could still go to school, she might need extra help but she could still go to school. When we get back to LA, make sure she gets tested and sees the school", said Josh.

"And I really need to speak with her grandparents, and I need to tell her about what happened to me. She's a smart kid and I want her to know what happened", said John.

"Yeah, so she doesn't find out from some tabloid", agreed Josh.

"You know what's the most fucked-up thing? My daughter is the product of a one-night stand I had with someone I wouldn't have slept with sober, and throughout her childhood I was completely fucked up on drugs. Even if I had known I had a daughter, it probably wouldn't have made me get sober. I was that messed up", said John with a sigh.

"But you cleaned up and got sober, and you have your daughter. You are going to be a great dad, and not mess this up", said Josh, clapping him on the back.


	20. Chapter 20

"What do you mean, you don't know what to do? You climb up the ladder and go down the slide", said Clara in disbelief.

"I've never been to a playground before, I don't like the noise and Mom said running around was for stupid kids", said Nika.

"Wow, that's crazy. Your Mom was weird, is that a British thing?", asked Clara.

"I don't know, my cousins in England seem normal. But I just never went to a playground before", said Nika.

"It's a lot of fun, but you should try to go down the smaller slide first to see if you like it", said Clara.

Nika smiled shyly at the red-haired girl. The girls were at a local playground being watched over by Loesha, Clara's mother, since her grandparents had decided to go antique shopping in Hollywood. The playground equipment and the masses of children frightened her at first as she had never seen so many children in one place before being so loud. What astonished her about the children was that they were loud and casually dressed in shorts and t-shirts, as she wore a navy blue dress with white polka dots and matching bows in her curly dark hair. She had never been allowed to wear jeans or shorts and the noise was not tolerated by her mother. 

Nika observed the children with the intensity of an anthropologist studying some primitive jungle tribe. She watched as Clara climbed the ladder to the top of the slide and then slid down the incline. Nika took a deep breath as she carefully climbed the ladder and sat down before sliding down the metal slide. She felt an odd fluttery sensation in the pit of her stomach as she went down the slide, carefully getting off and rearranging her skirt. "Did you like it?", asked Clara.

"It felt rough, like when I was on the plane to England and it's descending", she replied.

"Yeah, I know that feeling. Dad and fly to Australia to visit Grandma, Dad's family is Australian, from Melbourne", said Clara.

"Great-Uncle jack went to Australia many times for his book tours, he's a novelist. Him and Great-Aunt Tessa live in Japan", said Nika.

"Cool, Dad says Japan is awesome. Maybe when I get older, I want to join the band on tour", said Clara.

Nika and Clara went down the slide a few more times before moving onto the jungle gym. "The jungle gym is for really little kids except for the monkey bars, those are cool. The swings are fun, but it's even better when someone pushes you. Dad used to push me on the swing when I was little", said Clara.

Nika watched the girls on the swings and dismissed it as repetitive. While the slide was sort of fun, the repetitive nature of the activity soon bored her. "It's getting hot, maybe Mom can take us home and get us lunch", suggested Clara.

Nika let out a smile of relief. "Didn't you like the playground?", asked Clara as Loesha led them back towards the car.

"It was different, but it got boring. I'm not used to being around crowds of people and noise", said Nika.

"Wow, because you lived with your grandparents?", asked Clara.

"Yeah, I'm not used to noise and crowds. I prefer quiet", she replied.

"Sometimes I like quiet, like when I'm reading or working on my art. Dad likes peace and quiet when he comes home from touring, after he comes home he needs a couple of days to relax before we can go out. I guess touring in a rock band sounds like fun until you get older", said Clara thoughtfully.

Nika nodded in agreement as the red-haired girl made a lot of sense. Her Dad seemed tired when he got home from touring and reluctant to leave the house, as though he considered touring a chore. "Does your dad like playing live?", she asked.

"Oh yeah, he loves to play live. It's the traveling he doesn't like, but he loves to play live, John too. Next time they lay at the Forum, you'll see", said Clara.

Nika was quiet on the way back to the house. She wondered what her father looked like when he played music live, if he felt that touring was worth it for the sake of playing live. She had been listening to more of his band's music and was slowly starting to like it, not sounding as noisy as she'd thought in the beginning. Nika sensed that a concert would be very loud and there would be a lot of people, so she would have to prepare herself mentally.

After lunch Clara pulled out an orange DVD case from the shelf. "This is a DVD of the band, it's awesome. Uncle Anthony uses a lot of bad words and talks about girls a lot", she said before turning on the TV and inserting the disc into the machine.

At first Nika was startled by the volume and the huge mass of people but she was surprised to see Anthony with a black Mohawk instead of his short blond hair. But what really shocked her was her father. John had an odd mohawk hairstyle where the sides of his head were shaved and the middle was a thick stripe of dyed black hair. He didn't wear a shirt and his arms and torso were muscular but there was something a bit odd about his appearance. She could see the tattoos on his arms but the skin around them had a strange, almost shiny look that had cracked. "Dad has loads of tattoos, maybe it has something to do with tattoos", said Clara.

"Gross, the only person I know with tattoos is Uncle Jack, he got them during his army service in the 50's. Tattoos are ugly", said Nika in distaste.

"Dad has cool tattoos. But I don't want any", said Clara.

The girls spent the next hour watching the concert, giggling whenever Anthony swore or told dirty jokes. They laughed when ping pong balls and silly string fell on Chad towards the end of the show, the normally stoic drummer laughing hysterically while the balls bounced everywhere on stage. 

Nika was fascinated by the interviews and backstage footage as she hung on every word. She giggled when she saw John backstage drinking ginseng TV and doing yoga with Flea and Anthony while Chad drank beer and smoked a cigarette. "Hey, it's Josh", she said.

"Yeah, him and the band are really good friends. And he can't be that lady's husband, she's too old for him", said Clara.

Nika was confused and asked Clara to rewind that part. Anthony was talking with a pregnant lady and said Josh was the father as the younger man giggled nervously and turned bright red. "It's a joke, that lady is too old for him. He's single", Clara explained.

"Ohh, I see. But why would Anthony embarrass him like that? Josh is a really nice guy", she wondered aloud.

"Anthony teases everyone, and Josh is an easy target 'cuz he's so shy. Some people tease me because I have red h air, a lot of people think red hair is ugly", said Clara.

"Your hair is pretty, mine is just brown. I wish I had black hair like Mom or blond like my English cousins. Plus it's curly too", said Nika.

"Thanks, but you have pretty hair too. John has the same kind of hair, I suppose straight hair is easier to deal with. Maybe when we get older, we'll be happy with our hair. Mom says when I get older, I'll turn pretty and get boys, but not now. Boys are gross", said Clara with a grimace.

Clara took out the disc and inserted another one. "This is Dad's band in the 80's, I was in one of the videos", said Clara proudly.

At first Nika was startled at seeing how young her father looked. He could not have been older than 18 in some of the videos, slim and wiry with short hair dyed red and no tattoos. He looked so happy as he bounced around and played his guitar, just like the teenager he was. "Dad looks so young", she murmured.

"Yeah, he was only 18 when he joined the band", said Clara.

Nika was enthralled at watching the videos, her father so full of energy and life as he played guitar and sang backup vocals. She did notice, however, that in the videos he was mostly shirtless and his pale, smooth skin rippled with wiry muscles. She knew that John always wore long-sleeved shirts and wondered why he always wore those shirts when he didn't as a young man.

Nika was brought out of her thoughts when Clara tugged on her sleeve and showed the video on TV. "I was in that video, I was the baby", she said.

Nika saw what looked to be a house party where the band performed surrounded by odd people, Loesha holding up baby Clara and dancing with her. "Yeah, that was me. I bet people were wondering how come a baby was in the video", she laughed.

After that video, Clara put on Funky Monks. "I was in this video too, I stayed with Dad at the mansion while they were recording", she said.

Nika was intrigued by her father in this movie, slightly older but still young and cherubic. She watched as John talked to the camera and smoked cigarettes, going off on odd tangents related to music. She didn't understand when the guys laughed at something he said about a woman in a movie, why the other guys thought it was funny. "I don't understand a lot of it either, maybe it's guy stuff", said Clara with a shrug.

Nika nodded and continued watching the movie. She had mixed feelings when she saw Flea interact with Clara, picking up at the daycare and then taking her to the mansion. There were scenes of Clara playing a toy piano on the set and of taking a bath, the love the bassist had for his daughter so obvious. On the one hand, she was happy that her friend had such a loving father. On the other hand, she felt jealous since she couldn't remember her mother being so affectionate towards her. 

"Clara, did your Mom hug you as a kid?", she asked.

"Yeah, all moms hug their kids", replied Clara, a confused look on her face. 

"Mom wasn't into hugging, she wasn't very affectionate. I had a nanny when I was a baby, that's what Pepere said. Grandmere gave me hugs", said Nika.

"That's weird, maybe your mom wasn't the hugging type. Some people are like that", Clara suggested.

"Maybe", replied Nika.


	21. Chapter 21

John couldn't shake off the feeling of unease in him when he replayed what Nika to him during their phone conversation. "Her Mom never hugged her, and her mom had a nanny for her until she was three. That's just wrong", he said.

"Wow, that is messed up. Crazy as my old man was, he did hug me and didn't dump me on a nanny as a baby", said Anthony.

"Yeah, but her grandparents are amazing people. The more I hear about her mother, the more I want to smack her", said John grimly.

"Not very Buddhist of you, but I get it. I can't imagine not hugging my kids, when I get home from touring I just want to hug Clara", said Flea in dismay.

"I made a huge mistake that night, I was so drunk", said John sadly.

"Yeah, but that mistake made your daughter. Two of my kids came from one night stands, but I love them anyways and I wouldn't treat them worse than my other kids. It was the mom who had problems, not the grandparents", said Chad.

John nodded as he felt the familiar tingle in the back of his neck and reached into his pocket for his cigarettes. Chad took out his own pack of Winstons as John lit up both of their cigarettes. "I mean it, the mom sounded very fucked up. I didn't know anyone who was homeschooled except for the retarded or spastic kids. How smart is your daughter?", asked Chad.

John took a drag and exhaled. "Off the charts brilliant. Mom and Dad are really concerned ever since we took her to the Getty and she was going on about ancient Greeks being gay, really hardcore college level stuff", he said.

Chad nearly choked on his cigarette. "What? How the hell does a kid know that?", he sputtered.

"Her mom was a Classics professor and so is the grandpa, I guess it runs in the family. The grandpa is cool, I get the feeling he doesn't like how Nika was raised", said John.

"That makes sense. If the moms of my kids raised them like that, I'd sue for custody. That is how you raise a psychopath", said Chad.

"I get my work cut out for me," said John ruefully.

"Excuse me, guys. Uh, can I borrow your lighter?", asked Josh shyly.

"Sure", agreed John.

Josh smiled gratefully. "My lighter ran out of butane", he explained.

"You should get a proper Zippo lighter, those cheap-ass plastic ones from the liquor store don't last long", said Chad.

Josh lit his cigarette and took a drag. "Maybe when I get big royalty check, after I get a new car", he said.

"You're still driving that piece of junk? When you want to buy a car, call me and I'll help. What kind do you want?", asked Chad.

"A Volvo, I'd love a VW Beetle but a Volvo is a more practical choice. Just something nice, Japanese cars are boring and American cars suck", he replied.

"Cool, I don't know anyone who drives a Volvo. But let me know and I'll help you, you pick out the one you like", said Chad.

"Josh, is it normal for parents to not hug their kids?", asked John.

Josh took a drag and exhaled. "Hell no, that's how kids in Romanian orphanages were raised. That's how you create a psychopath", exclaimed the younger man.

"I talked to Nika last night, yesterday she said her mother didn't hug her, she thought it was weird that Loesha hugs Clara a lot", said jOhn.

"Whoa, that's fucked up. Maybe it's a good thing the mom died, she was raising a psychopath", said Josh.

"Josh, you read a lot of books. Can I reverse this?", asked John.

Josh blushed as he took another drag off his cigarette. "Uh, I'm not a therapist. I guess as long as she gets affection from the grandparents and hasn't starved, she could be all right. You might go easy at first, she may not be used to it", he said.

"Josh, you're a genius", said John.

Josh giggled nervously. "Nah, if I were a genius, I would have graduated high school. But seriously, don't frighten her by being too aggressive", said the younger man.

The trio finished smoking cigarettes and went back to doing soundcheck. John played some random arpeggios and mused on Josh's words. It was one thing to see Zoe as a selfish woman, but the idea that she was raising their daughter as a psychopath seriously disturbed him. He now realized that her coolness and seeming indifference towards him were because she hadn't gotten much affection as a child except for her grandparents. "I'm sorry about your mom, Nika. But I'm going to be the best Dad I can be", he vowed.


	22. Chapter 2

"You look like you're about to faint from shock", teased John.

Josh blushed but his brown eyes glowed with excitement. "I know, but this is awesome. If I ever get my own house, it'll have more books than a library", he vowed.

John just chuckled as they looked around the Strand Bookstore. The huge used bookstore had shelves nearly up to the ceiling crammed with books, tables piled high with more books. Josh gaped and his mouth was open in delight and his knees were weak as he slowly made his way through the shelves of books. "Just text me when you're done", said John in understanding.

John chuckled when Josh made his way into the labyrinth of books. He knew Josh would buy a load of books and have to send them via UPS since it wouldn't fit in his luggage. He made his careful way through the medical section and then the neurology section, but the jargon and titles stymied him. "Excuse me, I'm looking for a book on autism", he asked one of the workers.

John nodded in thanks as the worker found several books on autism. He selected the ones on pediatric autism that didn't look too intimidating as he made his way through the books. He was going to look through one of the books and then schedule an appointment with a neurologist, hoping she could go to school. And he made a mental note to call her grandparents to see if she had gone to a neurologist. 

In the end, John bought two of the books on autism along with a biography of Leonardo da Vinci and several more books on Buddhism. He had to laugh when he saw Josh precariously balancing a stack of books in his arms, nearly coming up to the top of his head. This was no mean feat as Josh was just a shade under six feet tall and wore his trademark beanie which added an inch to his height. "Lucky UPS is down the street", teased John.

"Yeah, my parents at least don't mind since it's not expensive or illegal", said Josh with a laugh.

The clerk behind the counter placed the books into two huge paper bags while John's purchases only took up one small bag. "Are you planning on building your own library?", John teased the younger man.

"Maybe, but I do read my books. I don't watch TV except for sports and I don't play video games, I haven't played video games since Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. I quit because I sucked so bad at them", said Josh with a rueful smile.

"I've never played video games, they're a huge waste of time. I'd tried to play PacMan and Donkey Kong at the arcade but they were a waste of time and quarters", said John.

The men walked over to the UPS office down the street. The clerk behind the counter raised an eyebrow when he saw all the books Josh wanted to mail but said nothing as he placed them in a box addressed to his parents' house. "At the rate you're going, you'll never be able to move out", said John.

"After I get my car, I'm going to see if I can get my own place. I know exactly how much I got in my account and I can see if I can get a load from the bank You can get a loan to finance a car", said Josh.

"Okay, I hardly go to the bank. I suck with a money, but I have good accountants", said John.

"I have to be good with my finances, I pay rent to my parents and a third of the groceries and utilities. My parents insisted on it", said Josh.

They went back to the hotel and John went straight to his room. It was before noon and he knew he had at least an hour before his nap as he took out one of the books on autism and began to read. He carefully read the chapter on Asperger's syndrome and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The symptoms and signs described Nika very well and his hands shook as he turned the pages, feeling a mix of sorrow and amazement. The idea that of his daughter having such a one-sided brain saddened him, and her mother's upbringing didn't help. He needed to see if they had taken her to a neurologist and if they had an idea of her condition.

"Wow, so you think Nika has some sort of autism? She's super smart, but that sort of knowledge isn't appropriate for a kid, and she doesn't have social skills either. You should take her to a doctor", said Flea.

John nodded as he took a sip of his tea. "I was shocked, the only autistic kids I knew in school were the spastics in the basement class. She's super smart, but it's like half of her mind is missing. I don't want her to have a lonely life, I want her to have friends and eventually date and be a normal, happy girl", he said with a sigh.

"We all want our kids to be happy and normal, John. I want Clara to be happy, all parents want that. But I suppose if she's quiet and does the work, she could do good in school", said Flea.

"Yeah, I was a quiet kid too. As long as she can go to school, and she can do the work and control herself, she can do well", said John.

John sighed as he drank his tea. He hoped that Nika could handle school, since he couldn't homeschool. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I was just upset when I read the book and the chapter on Asperger's. And next week we got that interview with Spin, they're going to see Nika. Later I'll call her and explain", he said.

"Yeah, we got two weeks before we start the European festival circuit. I'll take her on a tour of the school and talk to her grandparents", said John.

"Of course, same with Clara. Clara gets a kick out of the interviews, just tell Nika so she'll be prepared", said Flea.

John did the soundcheck with a renewed energy, looking forward to seeing his daughter again. The band's management had already sent out a press release explaining the situation and asking for privacy, so the Spin article was gong to be the first press piece which mentioned his daughter. He wondered if he could establish ground rules with the reporter first and if Nika would be upset. John remembered how much he hated doing interviews back in the day, but he had been an immature kid.

The soundcheck ended as he handed his guitar to the tech and took out his phone. "Hi, Dad. How is New York?", asked Nika.

"We're fine, we've just finished soundcheck. Nika, next week people from Spin magazine are going to the house to do an interview. I just want you to be prepared", he said.

"What's that?", she asked.

"It's a music magazine, they're going to do a feature on the band", he explained.

"Okay, but are they going to interview me?", she asked, fright in her voice.

"No, just me. They might mention you, but you don't have to talk to them. In this line of work, there's a lot of interviews", said John ruefully.

"Okay. Then I won't be in the way", said Nika.

"Don't put it that way, Nika. You can listen if you want", said John.

"Maybe, I don't want to make you look bad", said Nika.

"Nika, you won't make me look bad", he exclaimed.

"Adults don't like kids being in the way", she replied.

"You're not going to be in the way. How about we visit your grandparents in Palm Springs after we drop off Grandma and Grandpa at the airport?", he suggested.

"Okay, when is your interview?", she asked.

"The interview is in five days, after that we can go to Palm Springs", he replied.

"That sounds good. Have a nice show", she said.

"I hope we have a better than nice show, Nika. I'll talk to you later", said John.

"All right, good night", said Nika.

John hung up the phone and frowned. Now that he was reading about Asperger's syndrome, her flat, monotone conversation made sense. At first, he thought that she had been numb from her mother's death, but it has just how she communicated. She did show emotion when she was angry and when talking about something she enjoyed, but hoped she would come out of her shell more. John thought about how he ought to perhaps go to his local Buddhist temple and make an offering, to give him patience in dealing with his daughter.


	23. Chapter 23

Nika looked on with bemusement as John supervised making sure the house was in order. "Are they going to take pictures?", she asked.

"Maybe, I just want to make sure the house is clean", he replied.

"Okay, but why don't you hire a housecleaning service? Mom always did", she asked.

"Because I don't want to hire someone to go poking through my house. I want my privacy, but this is a big article for Spin", said John.

Nika pondered this as she went upstairs to her room. She wished she had asked her grandparents about how to deal with this, but John Sr. and Gail had flown back to New York yesterday. She wondered what sort of questions the reporters would ask and if they were nice.

Nika put on a dark blue sailor dress trimmed with red and white ribbons and combed her hair. She was pleased that her curly hair wasn't tangled and messy but smooth and a rich brown like her father's. She mused that when she was very little, she wondered if her father was similar to her, or different. When she had first seen her father at the lawyer's office, she knew he was her father. His dark brown curly hair was the same as hers and he seemed to know too since he had looked so surprised. Nika touched her brown curls and spun around as they bounced around her shoulders and gleamed with auburn highlights, so different from her mother's jet-black hair.

Nika went back downstairs. John had changed into pressed black jeans and a Black Flag t-shirt under a red plaid flannel shirt, his curly dark hair loose and falling past his shoulders. "When are you going to cut your hair? None of the guys in your band have long hair", she wondered aloud.

"Hah, I like having long hair. Now my hair is in great shape, back then my hair was a mess", he said.

Nika was interrupted from asking by the knock on the door. John answered it and a young man in khaki pants a light blue polo shirt smiled and shook his had. "Hi, I'm Todd and I'll be interviewing you for Spin", he said.

"Sure, come in. We've been expecting you, would you like something to drink?", asked John.

"Some coffee would be nice", replied the reporter.

John offered him a cup of coffee. "This is my daughter Nika, I don't mind if she's mentioned in the article, because of the press release", he said.

"Hello, sir. Do I have to answer questions?", she asked.

"Not really, since it's your dad we're interviewing. But yeah, we'll mention you", said the reporter.

The men finished their coffee and went to the living room. "You can go upstairs, Nika", said John before the reporter turned on the tape recorder...

Dream Of Californication

If any band epitomizes both the glamour and dark underbelly of southern California, it is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Formed in 1983, the band started out as a quasi-punk funk bunch who were perhaps best known for playing with socks on their genitals. Over the years, they have dealt with the tragic loss of guitarist Hillel Slovak, the massive success of their mega-selling Blood Sugar Sex Magick album, and the departure of guitarist John Frusciante.

Frusciante was only 18 when he joined the band, a wunderkind who was also a Chili Peppers super-fan. At first the young guitarist enjoyed the perks of fame which came from their initial success of Mother's Milk, but something changed with the enormous success of Blood Sugar Sex Magick. Frusciante became disillusioned with rock stardom and withdrew from the band, culminating in him quitting right before their show in Tokyo, Japan.

For the next several years, Frusciante spent the time painting and doing heroin. This time of his life was captured by a Dutch TV crew from VPRO who filmed him inside his Hollywood Hills home. The documentary showed him living in squalor with writing on the walls and his appearance shocked many who had remembered him as a cute, baby-faced guitar hero.

Now clean and sober, Frusciante lives in a lovely house in the Hollywood Hills with terrific views of the city. Once cute and baby-faced and then frighteningly unkempt and skinny, Frusciante is now the picture of health with his tan, long curly hair past his shoulders and sparkling hazel eyes. He was eager to show off his enormous record collection and recording studio, where he is working on a project with local musician, good friend and member of the Bicycle Thief Josh Klinghoffer. Throughout this interview, we touched on rejoining the Chili Peppers, his solo music, and his newfound fatherhood.

Spin- So John, it feels as though you left the band after making one massive hit and then rejoined to create the band's best-selling album, Californication. So in a way, you came back to where you left off.

Frusciante- Yeah, you could say that. At the time I left the band, I was thinking of myself as a pure artist, a real holier-than-thou type. I was content with the level of success we'd had during the Mother's Milk era, but the success of Blood Sugar blindsided me.

Spin- Because you were now seen as a "rock star", rather than as an artist?

Frusciante- Exactly. I'd just come out of this environment where we were cloistered and focused solely on music, like being a monk. And then the record blew up and I couldn't deal.

Spin- Because you had a gone from one extreme to another

Frusciante- Yeah, and I'm a naturally shy, introverted person. All of a sudden, we had crazy fans and all sorts of media wanting to speak to us and the screaming girls. I felt less than human, like a product. Before we had fans who were with us from the beginning and now we had a lot of fans who liked us because we were on MTV but didn't know our older music.

Spin- When did you know it was time to quit?

Frusciante- I'm not proud of this, but I slept with a groupie in London and she wanted me to introduce her to Anthony, she was only using me to get to him. So I realized that maybe it was time to leave for the sake of my sanity.

Spin- Now that you've rejoined the band, do you feel that this success might overwhelm you again?

Frusciante- Not really, because I'm not an immature teenager anymore. I've been through a lot and came out through the other side, so I grew a much thicker skin.

Spin- How do you cope with all of the stuff in being in a band?

Frusciante- Thanks to our new management, Q-Prime, we tour for two weeks and take a week off, so we can recharge our batteries. I also started doing Vipassana meditation while in rehab and that got me interested in Buddhism. I've read a lot of books on Buddhism and converted, I feel much better now 

Spin- That's good to know. And you're working on solo music?

Frusciante- Yeah, with my good friend Josh Klinghoffer. I met him through my dear friend Bob Forrest, Bob invited me to the studio to play guitar on a song by his band Bicycle Thief. He introduced me to Josh, he's a great kid.

Spin- What sort of music are you working on together?

Frusciante- It doesn't sound anything like my work in the band or my first two solo albums. All I can say is that it is very different, so that's all I'm saying.

Spin- Fair enough. Recently your management put out a press release saying that you have a daughter.

Frusciante- Yes, I was very shocked when i got the news from my lawyer. But the dates add up and when I first saw, I knew she was my daughter, I just had this instinctive feeling. I'd never though I'd have a child but now I'm a dad.

Spin- What is it like being a father?

Frusciante- Different, exciting, uncertain. I have very little experience with kids except for babysitting Clara when she was little. Everyday I learn something different, parenting looks easy but it's more than that. Luckily my parents were here for a few weeks.

Spin- Yeah, I'm sure they wanted to meet their new granddaughter. So is there anything new going on with the band?

Frusciante- In two weeks we head to Europe, we're playing dates in the UK, France and the Netherlands. I'm always coming up with new ideas, but what I write for the band and what I write for my solo stuff is very different. I find that purposely working on writing music keeps me focused, it's wonderfully liberating to just give my mind free reign.

Spin- that's great news for all the fans. Any last words?

Frusciante- Just be patient, we'll come by your city sometime. But seriously, always strive to be creative and don't let the demons win.


End file.
